This Thing that's not Quite Love
by Spunky0ne
Summary: After being identified as the only heir to a lost noble clan, Renji must marry to repopulate it. Terrified of entering an arranged marriage, he convinces Byakuya to accept his hand. They secretly agree to provide seven children, then to divorce, as neither plans to fall in love. But so often, plans change, when the fires of love are lit...Byakuya/Renji, Ichigo/Tetsuya...Renji mpreg
1. In the Blood

**This Thing that's not Quite Love**

**By Spunky0ne**

**(Okay, I REALLY wasn't planning to do this, but I was reading a request for stories where Renji is uke...or mostly so, because Spunky can't quite stomach relationships where one person always dominates...but I digress. So, thanks to the wonderful and very sweet JePi for setting me up to get clobbered and soundly pummeled by this very charming plot bunny! I know it's shocking, but Bya will be seme (or mostly so!) and Renji will be (mostly) uke. And in true Spunky style, Renji will get preggers. Yeah, I love that mpreg! Sorry, can't help it. Hope you love the story. And we're off!)**

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**Chapter 1: In the Blood**

The morning began quietly, serenely, with Byakuya waking to the gentle sounds of morning birds and koi splashing about in the ponds outside his garden doors. He breathed in deeply the sweet scents of spring flowers, then opened his sleepy, gray eyes and brushed a tumble of unruly strands of black hair away from his face. His attendant appeared a moment later, bearing a tray with his breakfast, fine salmon served alongside a serving of steamed rice with a few offerings from the gardens and a cup of hot green tea.

"Will there be anything else, Lord Byakuya?"

"No, arigatou, Torio," the noble answered softly, biting gently into a soft, sweet berry and enjoying it slowly.

His attendant moved on to the dressing area and laid out his clothes, leaving for a few minutes to attend to other tasks, then returning as Byakuya finished the last of his meal and set his food tray on the nightstand. The noble slipped out of bed and entered the dressing area, where Torio removed his yukata and dressed him in his shihakushou and new haori, along with his traditional white, fingerless gloves, then carefully combed out the long strands of his hair and worked them into the expensive hair decorations that had replaced the weighty kenseiken. Byakuya looked calmly into the mirror and nodded briefly.

"Arigatou, Torio, that will be all."

"Yes, Lord Byakuya. Have a good morning, sir," his cousin said, bowing, then leaving him alone.

He left by way of the garden doors, opting for a short walk around the gardens, where he paused to watch the koi as the gardener emerged to feed them, then spotted his head of security, Cousin Tetsuya, making his rounds and fell in with him as they both were crossing the back of the gardens.

"Good morning, Byakuya," Tetsuya greeted him, offering a warm smile and inclining his head respectfully.

"Tetsuya," the clan leader replied, "I understand that you will be leaving for a few days, as of this evening?"

"Ah, yes," the younger noble said, blushing slightly, "Ichigo asked if I would accompany him to his cousin's wedding."

Byakuya nodded approvingly.

"You and the Shiba heir have been attending quite a few functions since you were introduced to each other at the military awards ceremony, following the end of the quincy war."

"Yes," Tetsuya admitted, the flush on his face and throat deepening, "He is lively company and despite being heir to the house Shiba, he doesn't have any qualms about dating one of lesser blood...or another male."

"Yes, Ichigo is quite accepting. He is also a loyal friend. I am pleased that the two of you are getting on so well."

"I am as well," Tetsuya said, his smile widening.

"It has been a long time since you have had someone touch your heart, Tetsuya."

"It has," the sapphire-eyed noble agreed, "But, there is something about him that sets him apart from everyone else. It is more than just a quality about him, it is the way it makes me feel to be in his presence. He makes me feel appreciated, admired...loved."

He sighed softly, then sought Byakuya's eyes.

"Byakuya, do you never wish that you could find love again?" he asked softly, "I know how much you loved Hisana, but it has been a very long time since she passed from life."

"It has," Byakuya agreed, "However, I have managed well enough on my own. And having found love once, I appreciate that it may be a once in a lifetime situation for me. Something so beautiful does not come for the asking. And it may not come at all. I have my memories of her to carry me through the lonely times. And those close to me...Rukia, you, Renji and Ichigo keep me occupied sufficiently. I am content."

"Of course."

They paused as they reached the manor gates, exchanging a short farewell, then going their separate ways, Byakuya, out the gates and on to work, by way of the Seireitei streets, and Tetsuya to dress for his date with the Shiba heir.

Byakuya walked slowly, enjoying the livelier bustle of the morning Seireitei.

_It is good to have back some sense of normalcy after the chaos of the war. It seemed sometimes that the damage would never be undone. And in some places, there are still signs. There will always be scars, even though some cannot be seen._

A shiver went through him as he remembered the damage done to his body in the initial attack. He took it as a reminder that no one was invincible, and that it was necessary to maintain vigilance, even in times of peace. And he now cherished that peace even more wholeheartedly, for having bled so terribly to pay for it.

"Good morning, Captain Kuchiki," said a warm, familiar voice, coaxing Byakuya suddenly out of his reverie.

He smiled at the red-haired man who had come upon him from a side street, and inclined his head politely.

"Captain Abarai," he said softly in acknowledgement, "You look well."

"C'mon, just call me Renji," the redhead chuckled, "No one's listening. And it just feels too strange to have my former captain refer to me so formally."

"We are in public, Captain Abarai," Byakuya chided him, not unkindly, "I will certainly be less formal with you in private. Now, is there something I can do for you?"

"Actually, there is," Renji explained, "You see, I got this strange message from the Noble's General Council."

"The Noble's General Council?" Byakuya repeated, turning a curious eye on his former subordinate, "Why would they contact you?"

"That's what I was wondering," admitted Renji, "So, I thought that if you weren't too busy this morning before the captain's meeting, we could have a cup of tea together and maybe you could help me figure out what it means. Do you have time?"

A brief smile touched the noble's lips.

"I have time."

"Okay, where would you like to go?"

"We could return to the manor," Byakuya suggested, "It is closer than either of our divisions, and we would have privacy there."

"Not to mention the best tea in the Seireitei," the redhead laughed.

The sound made Byakuya's faint smile widen, and he nodded briefly as they turned towards the Kuchiki home.

"I will not deny that. But, I will say that I am very glad that before taking your leave of the sixth division, that you ensured that Rikichi would be able to carry on the tradition of my vice captain being expert in making the best possible use of that tea."

"Right," Renji agreed, "Well, I owed you something for mentoring me, and for recommending me for the position."

"Well, it was deserved, or I would not have done it."

"Thank you, Captain Kuchiki."

Byakuya raised an eyebrow, noting that they had entered the Kuchiki home and now stood in the courtyard.

"We are now in private. You may use my given name."

"Thank you, _Byakuya_," Renji said, gratefully.

"You are most welcome, Renji."

He gestured briefly, indicating the patio table in the gardens, then fell in with the redhead as they walked across the grounds.

"I understand your division was sent to monitor the disturbances in the precipice world," Byakuya said, conversationally, "What did you find there?"

"Ah, just an old experiment that the twelfth had sent into one of the pocket dimensions, some time back. It escaped and was roaming around in there, harassing passers through, so we returned it to the pocket dimension and resealed the entry."

"A humane response. Not unexpected, coming from you."

"Would you have done different?" Renji asked, "I mean, why kill something that didn't really need to be killed?"

"I would have had the same reaction, though some would differ with me on that. It is one of those situations that helps us to define ourselves in our roles as captains. Kenpachi Zaraki, for example, would certainly have challenged the beast to fight and would have dispatched it."

"And Kisuke would have captured the thing and studied it endlessly," Renji chuckled.

"Likely," Byakuya agreed.

Torio appeared beside the table and poured two glasses of tea, then set out some light snacks. The two officers sipped at their tea and chose from among the delicacies offered, before returning to their conversation.

"Now, you said that the Noble's General Council had contacted you?" Byakuya asked.

"Yeah. They sent a message to me, but I was kinda confused about it."

He removed a hell butterfly from his shihakushou and nodded at it to signal it to begin.

"Renji Abarai," said a regal sounding voice.

"That is Grand Councilor Yuudai," Byakuya said, recognizing the speaker.

"The Noble's General Council recently received a routine notice of discovery, regarding you, from the staff at Yukimoto Manor. They said that you had been a guest there, visiting with Lord Kuchiki, when you became ill, and had to be treated by the house healer. The healer sensed an anomaly in your reiatsu and followed up with blood testing, which revealed that you possess blood of noble origin...a goodly amount of it. You are, in fact, the direct descendant of a thought to be extinct noble clan...the Akazaki clan. We request your attendance at the next council gathering, to discuss with you the implications of this great honor."

Byakuya's eyes widened.

"Did he say, the Akazaki clan?" he asked, tilting his head curiously.

"What, you know of them?"

"Yes, a bit," said the noble, "They are...or rather, were a small noble clan, all male."

"All...male?" Renji queried, blinking, "How is that possible?"

"I am not sure," the clan leader confessed, "Not much is known about them. They were a reclusive clan, not eager to be seen or scrutinized publicly, in most cases. Little is known about their inner workings or how they conducted themselves. What is known is that the last known Akazaki perished in the quincy war a thousand years ago."

"Well, it looks like someone had a kid or two out of wedlock."

"It seems so," confirmed the clan leader, "It would be a good turn of events, if this turns out to be true. You could bring back a fallen noble house."

"Well, that's kinda cool," the redhead said, looking impressed, "Although, I have to say that it would be kinda lonely, knowing that even being related to a noble family, my relatives are all gone."

"That is a sad thing," Byakuya agreed, "But, how do you feel, knowing that any remaining assets of the clan would then be rightfully yours?"

"What? Really? Like, what assets?"

"Hmmm, I would have to consult the archives. You see, when the line of a noble clan ends...which does not happen often, the remaining assets are relegated to a section of the Kuchiki archive, for safekeeping. I have never had cause to search for the Akazuki assets, but I would be happy to take you into the archive and we could get an idea about the net worth of the family."

"You would do that?" Renji asked, looking surprised and more than a little intimidated, "I mean, the Kuchiki family archive is a pretty sacred place."

"It is," Byakuya acknowledged, "However, not only is the archive well protected, you are a trusted friend. I have no objection to you entering with me."

"Wow, thanks, Byakuya," Renji said gratefully, "That is a real honor."

"It is no trouble," Byakuya assured him, "But, if you are finished with your tea, come."

"Oh, right," Renji said, standing.

Byakuya led him across the grounds, and to a small outbuilding that looked too small to house the famed noble archive. He removed a small silver token on a silver chain from within his clothes, and breathed a quick spell, making it glow softly. He placed it around Renji's neck and nodded.

"This is a permission charm, to allow you entrance with me, into the archive."

Renji followed him through the doorway the noble opened, then stopped and stared in confusion.

"Byakuya...?"

As small as it had looked like from the outside, the inside of the archive was huge, easily defying the laws of physics.

"This is just...not possible!" he mused.

"If you have the impression that this room is 'bigger on the inside than it is on the outside,' that is not true," Byakuya explained.

"Huh, how does that work?" Renji asked, looking inside and out.

"This archive is actually located in a pocket, on which, one side is the Seireitei, and the other is a part of the royal realm."

"The royal realm!" Renji exclaimed, "Whoa! I thought that the only way to enter the royal realm was using the big launch thingie."

Byakuya smiled.

"The Tenchuuren is the accepted method of travel between here and the royal realm," Byakuya went on, "However, this small area was gifted to the Kuchiki clan, as keepers of the Seireitei's history. The passage does not offer entrance into the palace, except for the clan leader, in this case, me. It merely acts as a protection for the texts and other items that are stored here."

"But, if there is a doorway here that you could have passed through, then why didn't the royal guard take you through there when you were injured before?"

"Because only the Kuchiki clan leader can open the door to the archive," the noble explained, "And being unconscious, I could not do that."

"Right."

"Come," said Byakuya, leading the redhead on, "What we are looking for is this way."

Renji shook his head in astonishment at just how vast the archive was, boasting numerous, spacious rooms with floor to ceiling shelves lined with thousands of books, as well as display cases filled with rare items, and several vaults that the clan leader explained, held more valuable or very dangerous items for safekeeping. In the back of each room was a small alcove with a reading area and a place for the busy noble to eat, shower and sleep if he was too entrenched in study to return to his own room.

"This is amazing, Byakuya," Renji sighed, shaking his head, "Thanks for inviting me in."

"It is no trouble," the clan leader said dismissively, "And here is a listing for the stored belongings of the Akazaki clan."

Renji looked at the page and did a doubletake.

"Wha-huh, really?" he stammered.

"The Akazaki clan was quite wealthy," Byakuya said approvingly, "And should you be their heir, then it would, of course, be yours."

"Shit," Renji breathed, "That would buy half the Seireitei, and then some!"

"So, are you feeling better about the possibility of joining us as the newest identified member of the lost Akazaki clan?" Byakuya asked, smirking.

"You could say that," the redhead said weakly.

"I rather thought you would feel that way."


	2. Preparations

**Chapter 2: Preparations**

**(Okay, this is turning out to have such a stellar response that you are getting a second post today! Thanks so much to everyone reading! Thanks to Airenya (You are going to have soooo much Renji-fic to gnaw on, you will explode! I have a ton of updates planned for as many of those fics as I can stuff into a month!), JePi (Oh, just look what you started! This fic is headed for legendary status! *sniffs and wipes away tears* Thanks!), Flucifer the Fallen (Yes, Renji will be dragged into nobility, kicking and screaming, but it will be fuuun for us!), Dragonprincess01 (No waiting necessary! All those lovely reviews earned an early release of chapter 2!), Berty05 (Aww, you are the awesome ones! This one took me completely by surprise, but I am ready to keep firing off new chapters. I am so enjoying this.), Aria6 (Ask and you shall receive! Spunky is happy to deliver!), Neith S. Ruckus (You are sooo very welcome!), Kyuumihaira (Let the squeezing continue endlessly!), Demain Matin (Thank you so very much! *bows*), Scarlotte O'Hara (I am guilty of writing most of my Bya/Ren's with Bya bottoming the bulk of the time. But I do like to have them show the balance in their relationship by switching, now and then. Still, either way is a whole lot of sexy!), Alabirdie (Yay! So good to hear from you. I have gotten so behind on Bya/Ren, trying to keep up with Aizenmonth and Ichi/Grimm birthdays, but Renji's getting an early start on Redstravaganza!), Stephanie Rie (Aww, a million thanks! And I think you are right. If first reviews are any indicator, Learning to Love Without Sake may be dethroned as the king of my fics!), MissLilly2012 (Yes, slow burn is good, although sex will come (lol) before love. These two are a little slow at getting the picture, but the fires of love will burn out of control, once they get started!), Sunless Nights (I have a lot of cuteness and surprises planned! And lots of good loving!), Lochness Nessie (Those babies will be on the way sooner than Renji imagines in his deepest nightmare!), and MinaBlueGlass (Aww, thanks so much! Glad to have you along :) Happy reading!), You guys are the most wonderful people. I am very grateful for your loving support. Spunky loves ya' too!)**

"Damn it!" Renji sighed impatiently, glaring at himself in the mirror, "I just don't have _anything_ here that I can wear to the council gathering."

Rukia chuckled.

"The gathering's not for a few days, stupid," she said around a mouthful of taiyaki, "And if you don't have anything, why don't you just _buy_ something with your captain's salary? You make enough to do that, ne?"

"Y-yeah," sighed the redhead, "If I hadn't just rented an apartment in the most expensive complex in the Seireitei. I could barely afford to move in, but _look_ at the place! I mean, coming from where we did...the way we lived, Rukia, this is amazing!"

He couldn't quite contain the smile that came to his lips at the thought of the one most responsible for giving him the final lift to reach the place where he stood.

"When your brother suggested it and came over here with me, I just about fainted. I thought there was no way I could afford it. You have to pay so much up front and the rent is crazy. But the view is just so perfect. You can even see Kuchiki Manor, look."

"Yeah," Rukia said, rising and joining him by the window, "There's the main wing and the trail out to the lake and waterfall."

"I can manage the rent, no problem," Renji went on, "Cash is just short because I had to pay first and last month's rent, you know."

"Right. So, why don't you just ask my brother to help you out? You know he would."

"Sure, he would," Renji agreed easily, "But Byakuya has already done so much for me, it wouldn't feel right."

He let out an indignant yelp as Rukia's hand connected with the back of his head.

"OW!"

"_Baka_!" Rukia snapped, "Byakuya isn't just your captain anymore. He is your friend. Let him help you. Or what? Are you going to embarrass him by showing up for that meeting dressed in your old clothes from the Rukongai?"

"Shut up! You'll give me nightmares!" Renji complained, swatting back at her.

The two paused as a knock sounded on the door.

"Hey, is Prince Renji around?" called Ichigo through the door, "Open up!"

"Come in," Renji called back, "Door's open."

He let out an amused chuckle as Ichigo opened the door, then stood back and nodded for Tetsuya to enter the room first.

"Wow," Rukia laughed with gentle sarcasm, "Such a _gentleman_! Tetsuya, he must really like you. He doesn't open doors for the rest of us."

Tetsuya blushed and emitted a soft laugh.

"What can we poor Rukon folk say," joked Renji, "I mean, he is the heir to a noble clan now. I guess people like us have to open doors for him."

"Just not Tetsuya," added Rukia.

"Well, if I had a boyfriend as good looking as Tetsuya," Renji went on, "I would open doors for him too."

"Renji, really..." Tetsuya muttered.

"Hey, stop flirting with my fiancé."

Renji and Rukia started to laugh, then their eyes widened in surprise.

"Your...?"

"You heard me," chuckled Ichigo, "We wanted to tell you first, seeing as how you are going to be our maid of honor and best man!"

"What?" Rukia mused.

"Whoa," Renji said, shaking his head, "But you guys have only been dating for a little while. You practically just met!"

"Come now, Renji," Tetsuya chuckled, "You have been around Byakuya long enough to know how few marriages are not arranged."

"So, the elders set you up?"

"No," Ichigo laughed, "I am heir to the clan. And a) I showed interest in marriage to b) a powerful member of another clan."

"But, c)," objected Rukia, "Tetsuya is a guy! How is that going to work, considering that two guys can't have a baby, and that's usually what noble marriages are all about?"

"She's got a point there," Renji agreed.

"Well," said Tetsuya, his blush darkening, "It seems that Kisuke Urahara was researching some anomalies within certain noble families and found a genetic factor that can be manipulated so that a spirit chamber will form in even a male, so that two males can have a child. He plans to use this so that I can gift the Shiba house with another heir."

"Huh, really?" queried Renji, looking unnerved, "I mean, it's great and all, but, um...it's just kinda freaky to think of having something squirming around inside like that. It's kinda creepy."

"It is not 'creepy!'" Rukia said indignantly, "Women have children all of the time, and you don't think it's creepy."

"But...erm...how do you get, you know, knocked up? I don't wanna be rude, but how does that even work?"

"It's not so scary," Ichigo laughed, "I mean, Tetsuya and I are guys who like each other, so we're already willing to have anal sex."

"But..."

"Once Kisuke manipulates the genetic factor within me," Tetsuya went on, "a spirit chamber will form. Then, when Ichigo and I make love, his essence and reiatsu will be attracted to the chamber, where they will mix with mine and form a unique spirit cluster. The cluster will have to mature inside me for several months, but it will be shorter than a female pregnancy because I do not have to grow and expel a physical body."

"So, eh, how does the cluster get born?"

"Once it has matured, it will send signals to my body so that the area of my abdomen over the cluster will lose cohesion, allowing the spirit cluster to easily pass through. Then, when it is outside of my body, it will solidify into a shinigami baby."

"Does it hurt?" Renji asked.

"Listen to Mister Scaredy-cat!" Rukia laughed.

"No," Tetsuya chuckled, "Anal sex is not overly painful if one is properly prepared, and the gestation and birthing are not terribly painful, from what Kisuke said."

"But, he could just be not telling you everything so that you won't freak out or something," Renji suggested, dryly.

"Stop it!" Rukia said, smacking him on the arm, and ducking his hand as he retaliated, "You should just be happy for our friends, you idiot!"

"Happy? I am happy for them," Renji objected, "I just think it's weird, okay?"

"Well, Tetsuya and I are looking forward to it," Ichigo said proudly, "We've already started planning the wedding to take place next month."

"Shit, what's the hurry?" Renji asked, looking somewhat dismayed, "Don't you want to...I don't know, enjoy life a little more before you settle down and start having kids?"

Ichigo and Tetsuya exchanged glances and burst into amused laughter.

"You make it sound like a bad thing," Ichigo said, shaking his head, "And I'm telling you, before I met Tetsuya, I would have agreed with you on that. It's just that, when you meet the right person and they start resonating with you, like he does with me, you don't want to wait for tomorrow, you know? We've learned the hard way that we don't know how many tomorrows there are, so we're making them count right now."

"Ichigo..." Tetsuya said, a pretty, soulful look entering his sapphire eyes, "That is...!"

"Yeah," Renji said skeptically, "Well, you're all nuts. There's no way I'm ever getting married unless I love the person."

"_Baka_," Rukia reprimanded him, shaking her head in annoyance, "You are about to find out if you are the last surviving member of a noble clan. What do you think the Noble's General Council will do if you are?"

"Oh, ho, ho!" laughed Ichigo, "Looks like our pal Renji's getting hooked up! Hey, you want to have a double wedding with Tetsuya and me?"

"Shut up, asshole!" Renji shouted, his face turning the color of his hair, "I'm not getting married. I'm not ready for that, yet."

"Well, if I know that stuffy Noble's General Council," said Ichigo, "They'll choose your wife before you walk out. They probably already know that you are the heir and are only waiting to confirm it so they can pair you off with one of the hundred or so eligible noble ladies, or maybe guys that are lined up to..."

"Will you SHUT UP!" Renji yelled, "I said, I'm not getting married. I haven't even had a chance to decide if I'm straight or gay yet. Hell, I've never even had sex yet!"

"Whoa!" Rukia gasped, going wide-eyed.

"What? Really?" asked Ichigo, "You're a virgin?"

"Augh, get the hell out of here, okay!" the redhead said, his face blazing an even brighter red, "I don't wanna talk about this anymore!"

He burst into the bedroom, slamming the door behind him, while Rukia and Ichigo exchanged amused glances.

"Do you think that Renji will be all right?" Tetsuya asked, looking concerned, "I know that it is difficult when one is new to nobility. I was pretty much a savage when Lord Byakuya rescued me and brought me into the family. It took a long time before I felt really comfortable."

"I felt the same way," Rukia agreed.

"Me too," said Ichigo, "I feel a little guilty now for teasing him. I mean, I had no idea he was a virgin. Did you, Rukia? You grew up with him."

"Well, he didn't really ever express interest, you know? He was all about protecting me and our friends and getting out of the Rukongai to become a shinigami. And then, he was all about surpassing Byakuya, because I was the last of his friends from Inuzuri, and he felt I'd been taken away from him. I don't think I've ever seen Renji really acting interested that way in anyone."

"He gets on real well with Shuuhei Hisagi," suggested Ichigo, "I just assumed they'd had sex. They seem real close."

"But it seems it's just camaraderie," said Tetsuya, "This is not going to be easy for him."

"You mean, if the Noble's General Council finds that he's the heir," Ichigo added.

"No," Tetsuya said, shaking his head firmly, "They would never have called him before them, unless they were sure. This is just how they do things. I am afraid Renji is in for somewhat of a shock. Perhaps we should stay close to him."

"And not tease him," Rukia added, glaring at Ichigo.

"Hey, I'm sorry about that, okay? I didn't know."

"Well, you know now. But, what are we going to do?"

Ichigo turned his head to look at his somber fiancé.

"Tetsuya, will you stay and try to talk to him?" he asked.

Tetsuya considered for a moment, then nodded.

"I will try."

"Okay," said Ichigo, nodding to Rukia, "Rukia and I are going to go. We'll see you back at Shiba Manor for dinner."

"I will be there," Tetsuya agreed, watching them go.

The door clunked closed behind them, leaving the apartment nearly silent. Tetsuya looked around, then sat down in a chair and considered his words carefully. After several minutes, Renji's bedroom door opened, and the redhead emerged, still looking angry. He caught sight of Tetsuya as the younger man stood, and then he groaned in annoyance.

"I thought you guys left," Renji complained, turning back towards his room, "Get outta here, will you, please? I've had enough for today."

"Renji, please wait," Tetsuya said quietly, watching as the door slammed, then opened again, a moment later.

"What?" the redhead said in a low, near growl.

"I am sorry if we offended you, truly. Ichigo and Rukia said the same. They...would have said so, themselves, but they thought that they would only anger you more."

"So, they put you up to this?" Renji said, frowning, "Why should I listen to anything you have to say? I'm not like you and Rukia, Ichigo and Byakuya. I'm just a kid from the Rukongai, Tetsuya. I'm not a classy noble. And I'm not willing to make myself miserable to follow their rules and do what they say, you know?"

"I understand," Tetsuya said softly, "Nobility isn't all about privilege. It is also about responsibility. We are not just members of the privileged class, we are servants of his majesty. And we bend to the rules as a sign of our humility and obedience to him. Much is asked in exchange for what is given."

"But," Renji said, swallowing hard, "honestly, Tetsuya, I don't know if I can be like that. I mean, I'm still getting used to being a captain, and having people really respect me. For the first time in my life, people look up to me. But to throw more on top of that, when I'm so new to it..."

"It can feel overwhelming," Tetsuya finished, "When I left the noble's prison and Lord Byakuya began to civilize me, I wondered for a long time if I would ever feel ready to be among them. Some were not accepting...some still are not, but many opened their hearts to me and invited me in. There will be people who are going to judge you harshly, and there will be a lot asked of you, but...no matter what, you will still have what matters, Renji...your nakama. All joking aside, we are here for you. Whatever you need...whenever you need."

Renji yielded a weak smile and nodded.

"I know. And I'm not mad."

"You were flustered and you are nervous about the future."

"They're going to want me to get married right away and start having kids, aren't they?" Renji asked in an unsettled tone.

"Do not think about that," Tetsuya suggested quietly, "Whatever happens, make yourself calm inside, and stand tall, Renji. You have entered a new world. And you will find your place in it."

"Yeah..."the redhead sighed unhappily, "I guess."

The two looked up as a soft knock sounded at the door.

"Go away, you two!" Renji said, in an irritated tone, "I told you I don't want to..."

"Begging your pardon, Captain Abarai, sir," said an unfamiliar male voice, "Lord Byakuya sent me."

Tetsuya frowned and tilted his head slightly.

"Daisuke?" he mouthed.

Renji moved forward and opened the door. Just outside stood a small, quick man with stark, white hair and bright, friendly gray eyes.

"Captain Abarai," he said, bowing.

"Eh, yeah, who are you?"

"I am the tailor, Daisuke," the old man told him cheerfully, "Lord Byakuya sent me to take your measurements for a formal kimono for the gathering."

"What? He did? You can make one that fast?"

"I am the fastest and best tailor in the Seireitei," the man said proudly, "My family has worked for the Kuchiki family for a thousand years!"

"B-but..."

"Please, you will allow me to measure you?"

"Uh..." Renji said, giving Tetsuya a helpless look, "Um, Daisuke, thank you, but I, ah...Look, I can't let him do that. I know how much a good kimono costs and I am..."

"Ah, Lord Byakuya insists," Daisuke said, stepping forward, "He said that it would be an honor for him to dress the newest member of the Noble's General Council."

"What? Hey I didn't join the...and he...?" Renji stammered.

"Renji," Tetsuya said, smiling kindly, "Do you not understand?"

"What?" the redhead asked, looking almost disoriented.

"Lord Byakuya is showing his support for you. Everyone there knows this man's work. Have you not seen the kimonos he makes for Byakuya and me? They are recognized as his for their quality, on sight, by the other noble families. Will you not let him do this for you?"

Renji froze, looking from Daisuke's enthusiastic face to Tetsuya's hopeful one, then down at his own kimono.

"Well, I guess I do need a kimono," he admitted finally, "And if Captain Kuchiki wants to do this, then, I will accept, gratefully."

"Very good, sir!" Daisuke said, moving forward and backing Renji into his dressing area, "Let us get started."

"Uh, okay, but watch it with those pins, all right?"

"Of course, sir!"

Tetsuya met Renji's calmer eyes and bowed briefly, then left the redhead with the tailor.

"Hey, uh, thanks for doing this, Daisuke," he said, smiling, "This will really take a weight off of me."

"Good, sir," said the tailor, moving swiftly around his body and measuring him from every conceivable angle, "That is what Lord Byakuya was hoping. He is very fond of you and he is very proud."

Renji's eyes softened and his body relaxed, even in the close presence of so many pins.

_Thank you, Byakuya._

_You really are a good friend._


	3. Blossoming

**Chapter 3: Blossoming**

**(You know, Grimmjow and Ichgio are getting jealous with me romping off into early bouts of Renjiness before it's even August. But this one's like a steam train, rolling along and refusing to leave me alone. Cute interchanges and bits of story keep popping into my head. And the response has been so good, I think some lovely readers are as hooked on this as I am. Thanks a million to everyone reading and reviewing! My gratitude to TokenAsian (I'm really into this one too. I may have stepped away from Bya/Ren for a little while, but they are my favorite duo.), Bijective and Invertible (Thanks so much! But I have to credit my good friend Walkure for teaching me that keeping romance and characters at the heart of the story, and adding an edge of excitement is the best way to enjoy these two.), Scarlotte O'Hara (That's so true! I think that the character Iwaki in the manga Haru Wo Daite Ita expressed it best in saying that although his lover, Kato, was usually dominant, he wouldn't hesitate to be taken by Iwaki, if his lover wanted that. I think what matters is the respect between partners, the providing of what one needs and being able to rely on that other person when needed. Give and take is important in the balance of any relationship.), MilkPowah (You've got it, kiddo! I got up early to finish this chappie!), Alabirdie (You've got a good point about Rukia. I've written her in het with Renji before and a few times with Orihime. I've never tried her with Toushiro. Hmmm...And who needs to wait for August. I am feeling that ol' Ren/Bya/Ren itch again, so I'm leading off with this and writing on several others for the launch of 'Redstravaganza' in a few days!), MissLilly2012 (Okay, you can wake up now! Cuteness alert!), Airenya (You are spot on about so many things! I hadn't decided how to proceed with bringing in Renji's squad assignment, but I do think the eighth is the place for him, and Lisa has the oomph needed to give him swift kicks when he needs it to keep it together. I've never included her before, but I think it will be fun to do that. I have to go back and watch her a little more to make sure I have her character down. Ah yes, and it is true that Renji doesn't need tinkering to become pregnant, which will come out soon in a funny way. Oh, the awkwardness! Yeah, that will be fun.), Stephanie Rie (I love Renji this way too. I usually write him as streetwise and sexually dominant, but he's adorable bumbling his way into first love!), Snowflowersister of Toshiro241 (Okay, but I warn you, the cuteness is going to increase and may cause sudden heart flutters and uncontrollable 'squees.' Just a little warning...), Dragonprincess01 (No need to wait. More is here and in the works!), Shenigmatic (Panic is an understatement and freaked out doesn't begin to cover his reaction. Now, I'm hot to write the council gathering! Aww, and I was just about to go grab a burger for lunch. *sighs* Can't eat now. Must write obsessively!), Demain Matin (Well, here you go!), Dramamelon (Aww, glad to have you along!), Kikiah Abarai (You are so sweet! *hugs*), Princess Moon Shadow (Thanks!), Clobojojo (Heehee! JePi requested lucky seven, so it's going to be seven! I think he and Bya-sensei will faint upon hearing the news. And the elders Kuchiki will sing a round of the Halleluiah chorus!), And the lovely JePi, who got me started on this (Did I tell you how much I love you for that plot bunny you clobbered me with?) Off to write more! Enjoy the fluff. Love Spunky)**

Renji paused, a short way from the entrance to Kuchiki Manor, noting the position of the house guards, then slipping into the brush and seeking out the one vulnerable point he could find. He quickly scaled the fence and dropped down noiselessly on the other side, pausing as it struck him that the moon was full, and colored a pretty pale blue...perfect for moongazing. And that meant that his former captain would not miss the opportunity to leave the confines of the house, and seek out his favorite place, under a large, lovely sakura tree, near the waterfall that splashed down into the large lake by the open meadow, where they had often trained before the redhead had promoted.

He sighed softly, remembering how much he had enjoyed the long hours he had spent on the sharp end of Senbonzakura, focusing deeply on every aspect of fighting...firm stances, careful footwork, reading his opponent and anticipating his moves, timing, and everything else under the sun. And the best part was listening to Byakuya's calm voice, capturing each thing he had mastered and noting it, then moving on tirelessly to the next of the billion things he had to learn.

_At some point, it stopped feeling like he was a captain, training his subordinate. He was giving over, not just fighting moves, planning and strategy, but part of himself._

He wondered how many times Byakuya had stood in that same field, practicing each of those elements, himself, first under the eye of his gentle father, then with the well respected Ginrei and, he noted with a smile, Shihoin Yoruichi.

It was strange to think that Byakuya Kuchiki could ever have been a little boy or an awkward teen, or that he could have been awkward at all...ever. Renji had only ever seen him as powerful, graceful and extremely lethal. But when he wasn't using those skills on behalf of the Gotei 13 or his clan, he was quiet, introspective, even a little childlike in his careful concentration on the beauty of nature. Renji had been known to capture the daydreaming noble, dressed in a simple yukata, barefoot and staring endlessly up at the full moon and stars, oblivious to everything around him, glowing under the natural illumination of starlight, and easily the most beautiful creature that had ever inhabited the Seireitei. But sometimes, he would see something else beneath the calm in those wide, gray eyes that suggested loneliness.

It would have been natural enough, considering he hadn't had a romantic partner in all of the time Renji had known him. His only foray into love seemed to be Hisana, and Rukia's sister had passed away over fifty years before. Yet, despite encouragement from every quarter to avail himself of the fine choices for another wife, he remained single. And while Renji remained happily single, himself, it seemed wrong for someone like Byakuya to be that way.

Renji blinked and shook his head, realizing, all at once, that he had stopped walking and lost himself in the beauty of the night sky, daydreaming at a time when such a thing could quickly become dangerous. Tetsuya was fastidious about house security at the manor. And had he actually been there, Renji wouldn't have been able to set foot on the property without the young man quietly appearing and greeting him casually, as though unruffled at the fact of a Rukon-born Gotei captain, invading a noble captain's home without so much as knocking. But Byakuya's half-peasant cousin had a great amount of insight into Renji's personality and treated it as just an idiosyncrasy of his formerly uncivilized lifestyle that had trickled over into his adult life.

And indeed, there were some parallels.

Just as he had enjoyed using his skills of perception and timing to know just when to slip in behind an inattentive or distracted vendor to steal food as a child, now he enjoyed toying with the tight security at his former captain's home, with the intent of catching the highly intelligent and always vigilant man off guard. But on this night, he had another reason for being there as well.

He sighed softly, warmth creeping into his heart as he remembered Daisuke's visit to his apartment, earlier that day. It had given him an odd tickle inside, hearing those words...

_"He is very fond of you and he is very proud."_

Renji wasn't sure when he had gone from wanting to surpass the man to needing to please him. It was a fine line between the two, but he had crossed it without even realizing it was there, and now he was infatuated with causing Byakuya's normally passive eyes to express that spark of deep pride and affection. It was so subtle a thing, really, that he wondered if other people noticed. It was obvious to Renji, of course. But only because he had been obsessed, first, with defeating the man, then with impressing him. Just as long as he stirred a reaction, it was like eating dark, rich, warm chocolate. It made his heart beat faster, piqued his senses and caused that enjoyable twinge inside. That, he decided, was why he continued to persist in silly things like trying to sneak into Kuchiki Manor.

But, as long as that silliness had a point, he could dismiss it.

A flicker of reiatsu brought Renji out of his thoughts again, and he flash stepped into a cluster of trees as a young guard passed by. Almost snickering, he moved on, paralleling the trail that Byakuya would have taken up to his favorite moongazing place. He could already feel the noble's strong presence, and made sure to mask his own, so as not to be sensed too soon. He worked his way carefully around two more guards, then found himself nearing the top of the waterfall. The soft swish and splash of water grew louder as he approached, covering the sound of his footsteps, but leaving him more vulnerable in that he would not hear an approaching guard. He looked around cautiously, then began to close in.

A smile crawled onto Renji's handsome face as he spotted the noble, kneeling silently under the large sakura tree, as Renji had expected. Dressed in white, with a gentle night wind fluttering the edges of his sleeping yukata and the bright moon and stars lighting him, he looked angelic. Freed of the usual decorations, the long, black strands of his hair flitted about intermittently and his eyes glinted softly. He breathed so slowly that he might have been a lovely, pale statue. Still smiling, Renji abandoned stealth and emerged from his hiding place, enjoying just that momentary flicker of surprise, then the look of recognition and acceptance.

"Abarai," Byakuya intoned, his voice low and relaxed, very different from the way it usually sounded, "Is there some reason that you felt the need to break in to my home and disturb the peace? I assure you my staff would let you in, even at so late an hour, if you had reason to see me."

Renji smirked and shrugged nonchalantly.

"This was more fun," he chuckled.

"You knew Tetsuya was not here."

"Right," the redhead agreed, "I've never gotten around him once."

"He reads people very well...understands the way they think. His powers of perception make him a very capable bodyguard...but that isn't what you came here to talk about, ne?"

"No," Renji confirmed, "I came to thank you."

"That is unnecessary."

"I know. But I'm saying it anyway. It's more than just the fact that I'll have something to wear to the council gathering, it's that you are watching out for me."

The noble arched an elegant eyebrow, but confessed nothing.

"If I thought that becoming a captain was new territory, this is off the charts, crazy," Renji went on, "I can't wrap my head around it. I can't picture myself as anything but the uncivilized peasant kid from the poorest part of the Rukongai."

Byakuya studied the handsome lines of his face in the starlight, then motioned towards the place beside him.

"Sit down."

Renji dropped down next to him, then noticed the tray, bearing a bottle of fine sake and two cups. Laughing to himself, he watched the noble's pale hand as Byakuya lifted the bottle and tipped it over each cup, then set it down again.

"You don't usually indulge in sake," Renji said, picking up his cup and taking a sip.

Then, it struck him what night it must be.

"I thought it would be soothing."

"Yeah? For you or me?"

"Both."

"Right. I'm sorry if I picked the wrong night to disturb you," Renji said, more softly.

"I don't find your presence disturbing. You are welcome here."

"Even uninvited?"

"Yes."

Renji went quiet, then, following the path of his former captain's eyes, up to the brilliant stars and moon, and wondering what he could possibly say. But even not knowing what to say, even in the silence that opened up between them, there was perfect comfort, no awkwardness. He sipped slowly at his drink, watching out of the corner of one red-brown eye as Byakuya did the same. He began to see it then...the slight flicker of sadness in the noble's large, dark eyes, the almost imperceptible tremor of that usually perfectly steady hand and the fact that his breathing had quickened.

"Are you going to be able to sleep?" Renji asked finally.

"After a bit," Byakuya said, finishing his drink and pouring a second, "But during the arrival of spring is a lovely time to be unable to sleep."

Renji measured his words carefully.

"You must have really loved her."

"Yes."

It was all of the acknowledgement that Renji expected from him. But a moment later, Byakuya surprised him completely by continuing.

"She was my closest friend."

He couldn't help but think of Rukia, then, and how bad he would have taken it if she had died along with all of their other friends. He decided quickly that he couldn't go that way, and abandoned the thought.

"But then," Byakuya went on, "You have lost more than a few friends, yourself."

"But I've never lost a lover. I've never even had one."

The sudden spark of curiosity the words caused in the noble's eye send a twinge through Renji' belly. And Byakuya's next words inflicted the numbness of complete shock.

"Hisana was not a _lover_. I have never had one either."

The words left the redhead completely speechless. He struggled to think of something, anything to say as Byakuya noted the redhead's cup was empty and refilled it. Both men were silent for some time after, grappling with the words exchanged and what to say next.

"But you were married."

"Let me ask you something," Byakuya went on, "If you were me, and you were sent to patrol the streets of that town. And among the ones despairing and being swallowed up by their hopelessness, you met one who still fought valiantly, one who brightened the lives of others around her and gave them hope too. And if she saw past the trappings of power and privilege and looked at you through the same accepting eyes as everyone else. If she offered you something of the little she had out of kindness and made you feel at home, even there, could you have walked away?"

Renji looked back at him wordlessly.

"I was stationed in Inuzuri to keep the peace there for a time. It was late at night and cold, but I could not sleep. The sky was clear and the moon was full, like this. Her reiatsu was so low that I didn't even know she was there, watching me.

_"You look cold," Hisana said softly, offering him a cup of hot tea._

_He blinked in surprise and studied the poorly dressed girl in the moonlight, then extended a curious hand and accepted the tea. _

_"It is dangerous to be about so late," he chided her gently, "and alone. But...thank you."_

_"Hisana," the girl said quietly, "And I am not alone, nor am I in danger. Not as long as you are here. I can feel that you are very strong. Someone like you would never hurt me."_

_"No," he agreed._

_"I am glad you are here," Hisana went on, "People get desperate in the winter. Food is already scarce and warmth is even harder to find. But your arrival with the Seireitei relief team came just in time. You've made things calm again. Thank you..."_

_"Byakuya."_

_The girl's eyes widened and she moved back a step, catching her breath in surprise._

_"I'm sorry I disturbed you."_

_"Come. Sit down, Hisana."_

_She hesitated, staring at him for several minutes, before hesitantly closing the distance and sitting down at his side. Byakuya's hand moved and his cloak wrapped around her, bringing sudden, unexpected warmth._

_"Tell me about yourself."_

"I was stationed in the town for several weeks. And when the time came to return home, I could not leave her there. She was weak in body and I knew better than to leave her behind. But I could not bring her back without casting shadows of suspicion about why. So, to protect her from that, and to avoid the approaching unpleasantness of an arranged marriage, I married her before returning home."

"That must have gone over well," Renji chuckled.

"There was absolute chaos in the family. But I refused to back down. And finally, the elders realized there was no choice but to accept my decision. It wasn't the easiest path to follow, but it gave her the medical care and comforts she needed, while offering me her continued companionship. Our friendship was not so different from yours and Rukia's."

"Without the stealing," Renji joked.

"Without the stealing," the noble agreed, "My grandfather knew what was really between us. He was kind to Hisana and never once blamed her for what I did, even though it meant that my father's legacy would end with me."

"You didn't...erm...try to have kids?"

"Hisana was too weak for pregnancy. As it was, I had to manage my reiatsu in her presence so as not to overwhelm her. And sexual behavior undoes the ability to hold back those forces," Byakuya explained, the words making a blush rise on Renji's skin, "I wore a limiter at night so that it would be safe to sleep next to her."

"Damn," Renji mused softly, "I had no idea it was like that. I thought that you married her because you loved her. You certainly act like you loved her, remembering her this way."

"I did love her," Byakuya said, closing his eyes for a moment, "A heart can love passionately without it being sexual love. We fulfilled each other without joining physically. But one like you, who experiences the world so much through touch might not be able to comprehend such a thing. That is understandable."

"No, I think I get it. It isn't the way I think of love, but it worked for you and Hisana. And it's more than clear that you couldn't call what was between you 'just friendship.' It was obviously way more than that. I'm sorry you lost her, Byakuya."

"Thank you."

They went quiet again for a time, listening to the splashing of water, scenting the pretty blend of water and sweet sakura.

"I think I will be able to sleep now," the noble said finally, "Would you like to stay here tonight?"

"Oh, I don't want to cause trouble," said the redhead.

"Says the man who broke into my home," Byakuya commented, looking amused, "But it is no trouble. I can have a room prepared for you."

"Don't worry about it," Renji laughed, "I'll just stay here a little longer, if you don't mind, then go on home. What good is that great apartment you helped me find going to be if I don't use it?"

"Indeed," Byakuya said, rising and turning towards the trail, "Good night, Renji."

"Good night, Byakuya."

Renji sat, for a long time afterwards, taking slow sips of sake and gazing up at the stars, still feeling the warmth of the other man's presence. He was so comfortable where he was underneath the softly whispering branches of the sakura tree, listening to the soothing sound of the waterfall and surrounded in the light scent of flowers and sakura blossoms, that eventually, he just laid down and fell asleep there.

He woke in the early hours of the morning, covered warmly in one of Byakuya's cloaks and decorated in a fall of pink petals.


	4. Where Normality Ends

**Chapter 4: Where Normality Ends**

**(Had to take a day to think this chapter through, and I like how it came out. Thanks to JePi for continuing to inspire on this one and hey! You must get a Bya/Ren started. I'm calling you out because I think with your great ideas it will be fun to read. Thanks also to TomyAllen (I will give Grimmy some love today! And I agree, there is going to be some real shock on Renji's part when he realizes just how backed into a corner he is. That will happen soon. Just had a few more ducks to put in a row before getting to that point.), SnowFlowerSister of Toshiro241 (Well, here you go!), Moegi (LOL, Renji will have someone to 'assist' him with adjusting. I am working on that OC now, and hemming and hawing about which of two to go with. So, you will see that soon.), Clobojojo (Oh, I love the idea of noble's competitions...EEK! A FREAKING PLOT BUNNY! HOW DID YOU GET IN HERE! SAVE ME! SAVE ME! AUGHHHHH...! And I was just thinking that since I'm almost done with the hilarious Where Bloodlust and Pride Meet, I have to come up with another good Kenpachi/Bya storyline. ACK, ANOTHER FREAKING PLOT BUNNY! KILL IT! KILL IT! IT'S EVIL!), Sorry, had to get that out of my system! Thanks to Flucifer the Fallen (Heehee! Don't we love tormenting 'our boys?' And yes, you have to catch up on manga. You have five weeks to do so, while Kubo takes a break to gear up for the next swing in the arc.), Scarlotte O'Hara (Yeah, I think I'll bring Rukia and Toushiro in for the Ichigo/Tetsuya wedding. I don't know what else I'll do with them, but it's good to dabble in different characters from time to time. Oh, and the way Renji asks Byakuya what he has to will be a stunner! It came to me last night while I was trying to sleep and made me laugh out loud, startling my husband out of sleep and really pissing off the two cats who were curled up with us!), Princess Moon Shadow (Love you!), MissLilly2012 (You inspired the piece about Byakuya remembering finding Renji asleep under the sakura tree that's in this chapter, so read and be proud!), Airenya (You bring up a really good point about the difference in the way these two define love. And that will translate into the struggle to define what's really between them as they go into married life. When the hormones of pregnancy hit Renji, they will hit hard! And Bya will not be immune. There are going to be sparks and petals flying everywhere!), MilkPowah (Awww, thanks! And here you go!), Demain Matin (You are so very welcome!), and last, but not least, the lovely Alabirdie (That council meeting is right around the corner! Next chapter, I believe!). Enjoy the chapter! Love Spunky) **

Byakuya bit his lip gently, glancing at the clock, then observing the still too tall pile of reports and schedules requiring his attention. Rikichi sat quietly in his seat at the vice captain's desk, likewise encumbered. The two paused only to receive a courier from Kuchiki Manor, bringing in their evening meal, then after eating, they returned to the dreaded pile of work, still littering their desks.

As he felt drowsiness begin to steal over him, Byakuya took a deeper breath to refresh his energy, and threw himself into his work, trying not to be drawn off by the devilishly distracting image that had been sitting in the back of his mind, threatening to undo his concentration all day.

_"Will that be all, sir?" Torio asked, blinking sleepily._

_"Yes, thank you," Byakuya answered, stifling a yawn and turning towards his bed._

_He paused, just short of it, blinking and fighting off drowsiness as it reached him that Renji's reiatsu still resonated from that same place, near the waterfall, where they had been visiting. And now, the pulsating throbs of his spiritual energy held a steady, gentle pattern that suggested the redhead had fallen asleep._

_Intrigued, Byakuya stepped into the closet and found a warm cloak, which he wrapped around himself to ward off the chill, then he left his room and walked back to the waterfall, pausing a short distance off as the sleeping redhead came into view._

_The image seemed to freeze before his eyes, enchanting him instantly. Renji laid, stretched out like a cat, or more like a tiger, on the dewy grass, beneath the softly windblown branches of the sakura tree, his head resting on his curled arms, and his handsome face and body beautifully moonlit, setting off the lovely array of partially revealed tattoos. Sakura petals drifted down intermittently, adding a surreal feeling to the more primal beauty of the young man he was admiring. He chided himself for gazing at Renji for longer than was proper, but couldn't tear his eyes away from the entrancing sight._

_But after a time, propriety stepped in and made him move forward quietly to his sleeping friend's side, where he paused and slipped the body-warmed cloak off of his shoulders and laid it carefully over the sleeping redhead. He started to back away, then paused and bent to slip the hair tie out of Renji's hair so that he would sleep more comfortably. A sudden breeze caught and swirled the long ends of his hair, making Byakuya inhale in surprise as they brushed against his retreated hands, feeling like fine silk and carrying the enthralling scents of earth, fire and light musk. He backed away slowly, his gray eyes slightly widened and catching bits of stray moonlight. He hardly remembered walking back to his room and lying down. _

_And the memory of that lovely exchange remained with him all night._

"Captain," Rikichi said softly, breaking into his reverie and bringing him fully out of his thoughts, "Hell butterfly for you."

His heart flickering in his chest from having been caught daydreaming, he turned his head and nodded to the patiently waiting insect that hovered just in front of him.

"_Captain Kuchiki,_" said the voice of the friend he had just been thinking about, "_I just received an order to confer with you about the joint mission our troops will be combining on for the investigation of odd hollow activity and reiatsu flares on the edges of Karakura Town. Because it is suspected that this is still some residual rebel quincy activity, the captain commander wants it completed quickly. If you like, we can meet at my apartment to discuss the particulars. I'm sure you've had dinner already, so I've ordered some desserts in from your favorite shop. I will also have tea ready for you. Don't worry about it being late. The security staff in the building know you're coming."_

Byakuya would normally have let out a frustrated sigh at the arrival of yet more work to do, but the fact of that work involving his favored former subordinate, _and_ offering dessert, tea and the lovely view of the moon and stars from the redhead's apartment window was too enticing for him to manage any irritation over working even later. He excused Rikichi from his labors, admonishing him to rest and be back early to continue after he was properly restored. The noble slipped into his quarters and changed into a more casual yukata, then picked out the files he needed and left the sixth division, walking in the direction of Renji's apartment building and still thinking about finding the redhead sleeping in his garden.

XXXXXXXXXX

"That didn't hurt, did it?" Kisuke asked Tetsuya, as his hands slid over the blushing noble's naked belly, sensing the placement of the spirit chamber that had formed after his careful manipulations.

"N-no," Tetsuya managed, anxiety in his voice.

"Sorry," Kisuke said, smiling at him, "I know you're pretty shy and you don't really like all of the touching, but it is necessary."

"I know," Tetsuya assured him, trying not to blush harder, "I am sorry I am not under better control."

"Hey," said Ichigo, walking in through the doorway, looking and smelling freshly showered and dressed after his training session, "You teasing my fiancé?"

"Not purposely," Kisuke chuckled, "but this procedure is a little blush inducing, which explains the pretty flush all over Tetsuya's skin. I haven't seen a blush that bright since Yoruichi slipped Byakuya that little love potion when he was a teen, to tease him."

"I remember that," giggled Tetsuya, "He was absolutely _furious_! I did not think that he would ever forgive her."

"Yeah, those two..." Kisuke laughed.

"Man, knowing Byakuya like I do, I just can't imagine that at all," mused Ichigo, leaning over Tetsuya and stealing a kiss, then freezing and blinking in surprise.

"Oh, sorry," said Kisuke, "I should have warned you. Now that the spirit chamber has formed, our pretty friend here will be secreting attractive pheromones at an increased rate. If you don't want to be making those babies _before _the wedding..."

He broke off, grinning and shaking his head as flash steps sounded and the two younger men disappeared from the lab.

"O-kay, then! I say that was _an arousing _success!" he quipped to himself, "Thank you...Akazaki clan. Couldn't have done it without you. You've made those two boys very, very happy."

Outside the lab, Tetsuya only managed to get halfway down the hallway, before being gathered into Ichigo's strong arms and dragged into one of the bedrooms. The Shiba heir kicked the door to the room shut, then brought his lovely fiance down onto the bed in a tangle of arms and legs, immediately availing himself of Tetsuya's warm, sweet mouth.

"I-ichigo!" Tetsuya gasped, reeling as his lover's tongue thrust between his surprised lips, "What has come over you?"

Ichigo crawled on top of him, a hazy, feral glint in his eyes that sent a warning shiver through Tetsuya.

"Oh...oh, Kisuke wasn't kidding about those pheromones, ne?" he managed, before succumbing to a heady bout of kissing, at the end of which he found he had been deprived of his yukata, and that Ichigo was naked and rubbing his inflamed erection provocatively against his lover's, "Ichigo, do you not want to wait for our wedding night to make our babies? I wouldn't want to get you in trouble with the Shiba elders..."

"I don't care about them," Ichigo answered in a deeper, huskier voice than usual, "And besides, we're getting married so soon, it won't matter. Also, it's not like we're virgins or anything. We've done this a few times."

"Yes, but this is different," Tetsuya said, yielding a fluttering moan as Ichigo began to prepare him, "We are...m-making our babies, Ichigo."

"I know," Ichigo panted, pausing for a moment and looking deeply into Tetsuya's pretty, sapphire eyes, "I'm just head over heels in love with you and I can't wait. Is that okay with you? I mean, I'll stop if you want. It would hurt, but I would stop, if you wanted to wait for our wedding night. What do you say, Tetsuya?"

"Ah," the noble said, his head spinning from the intense feelings of arousal, "I know that propriety says we should wait...but...but I don't want to either! Make love to me, Ichigo. I feel like I'll break apart if you don't!"

Tetsuya gasped and clenched hard at Ichigo's muscular shoulders as the Shiba heir finished preparing him, then held him down firmly, feeding indulgently on his lips as he joined their bodies. The two fell into a storm of frenzied kisses and heated thrusts, overcome with desire and wholly unable to hold back in any way. Words gave way to breathy moans and soft exclamations of pleasure. The feeling mounted, seeping all through their love-locked bodies and bringing the two over and into completion, cresting the wave together and splashing down into a lovely abyss. Even as the strong throbs of orgasm began to give way to satedness, they feasted hungrily on each other's lips and mouths, unaware of anything outside of each other's amorous eyes.

"I love you, Ichigo," Tetsuya panted, wondering briefly if he would ever regain his breath after such a wickedly beautiful encounter.

"I love you too," Ichigo managed, collapsing onto Tetsuya's sweating shoulder and succumbing quickly to sleep with their bodies still connected.

_Kami, that was amazing! _the two thought together, as sleep overtook them.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Hey, Byakuya," Renji greeted the noble, stepping back to allow the noble entrance into his apartment, "I'm glad you could come over. I had already left my division when the order arrived."

"Well, I could hardly turn down such an enticing offer," Byakuya said, slipping his sandals off and following Renji inside, "Dessert, tea and a lovely view, not to mention, your pleasant company."

"Yeah," Renji chuckled, "that and a whole lot of work! But, who needs sleep, ne?"

"Certainly not Gotei captains," the noble mused, shaking his head.

"Come on," the redhead said, indicating the place at the low table with the best view of the stars, "Make yourself comfortable."

Byakuya lowered himself onto the pillow, noting it was warm from having been used recently. He watched as Renji left the room, then looked quietly out at the bright moon and stars, while he waited for the redhead to return.

"Here you go, Captain...erm, Byakuya," Renji said, falling into the old habit he had formed while the noble's vice captain, then quickly catching himself.

"Thank you, Renji," Byakuya said, nodding, then admiring the tray of desserts the redhead set on the table.

The two made their choices, then began to eat, taking the time to read through the captain commander's orders individually, then spending the next several hours discussing them, developing teams to manage each phase of the orders, officers to lead them, checkpoints for monitoring the mission's progress and responsibilities to be taken on by each division.

"How are you managing with your new vice captain?" Byakuya asked, as they worked at filling out the required forms.

"Heh," the redhead laughed, "You know Lisa, ne? The first day, she came in and she looked at me and put her hands on her hips and said that she couldn't believe she'd been loaded down with another deadbeat, drunk captain to have to take care of."

Byakuya arched an eyebrow.

"I hope you put her in her place immediately," he said, meeting Renji's eyes meaningfully, "You have never arrived at work drunk...not in all of the years I have known you. You do indulge in your off-duty time, but _never_ on duty."

"Yeah, I told her that."

"And?"

Renji blushed.

"Eh...she knocked my chair out from under me and yelled at me that it had better be true or she would...well, you get the picture."

"Yes," the noble sighed disapprovingly, "Renji, I think you are going to be in some trouble with her unless you assert yourself. It is one of the first real tests of taking a captain's position, and it is very important."

"Right," Renji sighed, shaking his head, "Although outside of taking her out to the training grounds and beating the hell out of her with my bankai, I don't know how to deal with her."

"Hmmm," Byakuya mused, smirking, "You know, Abarai, your first inclination is usually your best."

"What? You're kidding me, right?" Renji laughed.

The noble shrugged.

"It is what I did when my new vice captain showed signs of high spirits," he commented, his smile growing slightly.

Renji's breath caught for a moment, and then he laughed harder.

"That's right. You did do that, didn't you? And after you beat the living daylights out of me, you went back to work like nothing at all had happened, while I dragged myself in, showered and collapsed for the next two freaking days!"

"One does what one must to preserve the honor and dignity of the captain's position," Byakuya concluded, turning back to his paperwork.

"Well, thanks," Renji said, addressing his own pile of forms, "I will make good use of that advice, then."

The two worked in silence for a few minutes, then Renji went on.

"Ah...Lisa might be kind of a pain, but she did keep my mind off things today," the redhead noted, looking out at the night sky.

Byakuya looked up and followed the path of his eyes.

"You are anxious about tomorrow," he concluded.

"Yeah," Renji confessed, frowning into his empty teacup, then looking back out at the stars again, "There's no saying I'm ready for it, you know? At least with all of the training we did together for the captain's position, I felt confident finally taking that step, but this...Byakuya, I can't _be_ anyone but myself. I sure as hell can't let those old guys on that council tell me how to live my life."

"Nor has anyone suggested that you should," Byakuya said quietly, "Renji, perhaps in that I have not exactly been a stellar example of obedience, myself, I shouldn't advise you about what you should do. But there is one piece of advice that I will give you, without hesitation."

"Oh? What's that? Run?" Renji said, laughing nervously.

"Be yourself."

Renji gave him a startled look.

"What was that?"

"You heard me."

"No," Renji objected, "I _know_ I didn't just hear you tell me to be myself, because _myself_ is the farthest thing that council wants to see, Byakuya. You know that."

"Yes," the noble agreed, "But should it turn out that you are, in fact, the lost heir of the Akazaki clan, then you are a clan leader, and most of the people on the Noble's General Council, thought they might be elders, leaders they are not. A clan leader, while being bound by the rules and advised by the council, is not a slave to it. They will try to give you the impression that you should follow them. My advice is to listen to what they have to say, then let your own heart guide you in what you should do."

"Yeah? What if right now, my heart is _guiding_ me, telling me to run?" Renji sighed, setting his paperwork down.

"That is not your heart. That is just nerves, Abarai."

"Right. I knew that," Renji said, chuckling anxiously, "But, all joking aside, this is scaring the hell out of me. I mean, I know there's no family or council of elders of my own clan. But still, there's going to be a lot of expectation. I just don't know if I want to go through with it, you know? I'm content with who I am. I don't really want to change. As much as those guys might want me to be their lost heir and revive the Akazaki clan, I don't know..."

"Well, if you decide that you must, you certainly have the option of abdicating the position," Byakuya said, frowning.

"But...you don't think I should?"

"I am not the one who has to live with the dictates of the decision. I cannot tell you what to do, Renji. But, I can tell you this. You have everything you need to take the shambles of that clan and make it a proud one. What you need is the motivation to do so. It has to be in your heart to protect and preserve your clan, or you will be miserable, going through the motions. So, walk away if that is what you must do. But if you decide that protecting your clan from extinction is important, then accept the responsibility and put all of your effort into that."

Renji went silent for several long minutes, looking out at the stars and hearing the noble's words repeat in his mind. Finally, he gave a long sigh and looked down at himself.

"Well," he said, breaking the silence and drawing Byakuya's curious eyes back to his, "I guess that it's because of them that I have the powers and abilities I do. Without them, I couldn't have picked myself up and gotten myself out of Inuzuri alive. So...it makes sense that if I got the strength to do that from their blood, then I should not be selfish. I should think about how that strength could help to protect this place, and the people I care about. I have to go through with this, then. No two ways about it. That's what my heart is telling me. But...how do I know that's the right thing?"

"As I said earlier, in reference to handling your vice captain," Byakuya answered solemnly, "Your first instinct is usually your best."

"What, run?" Renji said, laughing nervously again.

"That is not what your heart told you first."

"No."

"Then, trust your instincts. They will lead you correctly."

"Thanks," the redhead sighed, looking back at the mountain of finished paperwork, "Kami, what time is it?"

"Time for me to go and let you get some sleep...hopefully in a warm bed, this time."

"Hey, what's wrong with curling up under a tree, from time to time? I slept outdoors all of the time in Inuzuri!"

"I suppose there is nothing inherently wrong with it, although it does tend to make people think you are a bit...eccentric."

"Yeah, so? If it's in my heart to sleep under a tree, I should just do it, ne?"

"Not exactly an interpretation I would prescribe to, but it does suit you. You looked very comfortable. That is why I did not disturb you."

"Well, thanks. I got some good sleep."

"I am happy for you. Now, if you will just find the final packing list for our Karakura teams, then I will leave you to your rest."

"Ah, right. I think I was in the bedroom when I set it down," Renji said, rising with the noble and turning down the hallway, with Byakuya on his heels, "You can look at it, but it might need a little tweak to suit the plan changes we made."

"Very well," said the noble, watching as Renji located the listing, then sat down on the bed.

A moment later, the noble sat down beside him, studying the listing as Renji held it.

"Hmmm, it does need something," Byakuya sighed.

"Darn," Renji said, "Look, I can work on it and have it to you by morning."

"I'm not going to leave you to do that," the noble said, shaking his head.

"All right. Suit yourself. But, I at least insist on making us another cup of tea, or we're going to fall asleep."

"Very well," Byakuya said, taking the papers from his hand and perusing them, making several changes, while the redhead left to make the tea.

Finishing that, he set the papers down and laid down for a moment, only intending to relieve the weariness by closing his eyes for a few minutes until Renji returned. But resting on the soft, comfortable pillow, breathing in the light bits of Renji's warm, familiar scent, he dropped off quickly and was sleeping soundly when Renji came back with the tea.

Spotting his sleeping friend, the redhead chuckled and set down the tea, then slipped in under the covers and took the papers from under Byakuya's limp hand. He sipped at the tea and worked quietly, so as not to disturb the noble. And when the work was finished and his tea was gone, he curled around his pillow, turned so that he could see Byakuya's calm, sleeping face.

_I'd wake him up, but he'd just lose sleep having to get up and walk home, and it's already nearly morning. Besides, he's cute like that, curled up and sleeping, his barriers down and so relaxed. I wonder, considering how we started out, how Byakuya Kuchiki ever trusted me this much again._

_I'm a damned lucky guy._


	5. New Legacy

**Chapter 5: New Legacy**

**(Thanks so much to everyone reading and reviewing! I am very appreciative. I will have to catch up on shout outs next chapter, due to computer issues that are making things so slow I can't do much but post as is. I'll run some anti-virus software and see if that helps. Anyway, enjoy the chapter! Love, Spunky)**

Renji Abarai was not one to get up early. Normally, he wouldn't have noticed the early light of dawn, seeping in through the window or the sounds of the morning birds. While his sleeping bedmate would normally have been up before the sun and already well into his morning routine, Renji would have been unconscious until being jarred awake by the single loudest alarm clock in the Seireitei...his idiot zanpakutou spirits. But, with the threat of the impending council meeting hanging over him, as well as the curious presence of his friend and former captain lying, deeply asleep, next to him, Renji hadn't been able to close his eyes. And removed from his normal sleeping environs, weary and lying in an extremely comfortable bed, next to his not-able-to-sleep-and-therefore-not-snoring-loudly , former subordinate, Byakuya was, oddly, not able to stir himself.

So Renji laid, not sleeping, and stealing long glances through barely opened eyes at the lovely and uncharacteristically vulnerable looking noble. And strangely, bereft of his uniform and hair ornaments, Byakuya looked impossibly young, nothing at all like a decorated military commander and noble clan leader. With his face lightly flushed and his hair tumbled from sleep, he might have just been like anyone else from the Rukongai. Except that, even without the perfect pressed and tailored uniform, elegant fingerless gloves, expensive ornaments and fastidious attention to grooming, he managed to still look regal to the spying redhead.

_He looks like one of them, and he doesn't have to do anything to do that. He's not like me...too tall and gangly, half the time can't find clothes in my size, hair can't be controlled and covered with tribal markings better suited to the jungle than to a noble home. I don't know why the Noble's General Council would waste their time and effort to even try to see if I'm one of them. Why would they want me to be? I am so not like them! Why are they doing this?_

He had closed his eyes for a moment, while thinking, and when they opened again, Renji Abarai found himself eye to eye with a just waking and adorably confused looking Byakuya Kuchiki.

"Renji," he mused, blinking, then comprehension reached his eyes and he relaxed slightly, "Why didn't you wake me?"

Renji smiled.

"You were worn out and I figured I'd just finish up the packing list on my own. I finished that and I guess I just dozed off. When I woke up, it was morning already."

_He doesn't need to know I spent the few hours I could have been sleeping, watching him sleep, instead. He'd probably hurt me._

"Ah," Byakuya yawned, sitting up and running his fingers through his mussed hair, "I should go and prepare for the council gathering."

He paused for a moment, gazing at Renji quietly.

"But," he went on, "I think that, first, I shall help you ready yourself, then you can come back to Kuchiki Manor and wait while I dress, so that we can walk there together, if that is acceptable to you."

"Huh," Renji chuckled, "You're going to help me? How?"

"Just get up and go shower, then I will show you."

Usually one to take his morning routine at a more leisurely pace, Renji found the prospect of having the leader of a noble clan dress him, and for such an event was reason enough to act quickly. He showered hastily, then exited the bathroom wearing a towel around his waist, and moved to where Byakuya waited in the dressing area. Renji's heart pounded strangely as he took his place in front of the mirror, and Byakuya removed the towel, leaving him momentarily naked and sending a blush roaring over the full expanse of his skin. Byakuya remained relaxed and composed, his eyes deeply calm as they focused on him, carefully avoiding his gaze and not staring for so long as to make the poor redhead any more uncomfortable than he already was.

"Hold still now," Byakuya admonished him, setting a silken underlay around him and tying it, then removing the new kimono from the hanger and setting it carefully in place.

As much as Renji was given to fidgeting, he held himself perfectly still, even forgetting to breathe as Byakuya's graceful fingers slid down the lengths of finely crafted fabric and fastened everything properly as Renji could not have done on his own without rumpling the cloth and ruining the perfect creases. He started to turn towards the mirror, but was halted by a staying hand.

"Wait," said the noble, "Not yet."

He disappeared into the bathroom and returned with a comb and brush.

"Hey," Renji said nervously, "maybe I oughta do that. You know, I'm more used to..."

"Nonsense, stand still."

Renji swallowed hard and fell silent again, his eyes observing Byakuya's relaxed expression as the noble's fingers ran through the long, damp strands, finding the knots, then working deftly through them with the comb. His hair dried some as Byakuya worked at the tangles, then used the brush last to smooth out the surface. Renji started to speak, but went silent again, his heart tripping over itself as Byakuya did not simply pull his hair up into the usual high ponytail, but instead ran his fingers slowly through the lengths again, several times, then portioned them into small sections, one on each side, then a thicker section in the back. He worked his way with surprising speed down each side, separating the strands into four and making, not the simpler braid Renji was accustomed to, but a more complex one that trickled down the sides of his face. He pulled the smaller braids back and joined them with the thicker section that ran down the redhead's back, then sectioned that into four and braided the back. As he worked his way down, he brought the braid over Renji's left shoulder and let it slither down onto his breast.

Renji tried to turn again, but found his face caught suddenly in the noble's hands and his eyes looking into Byakuya's. A stab of something that felt like a mixture of terror and something else passed through him as he realized that the noble's hands were shaking slightly and his face was even more flushed than it had been upon his waking.

"You are quite impatient."

"Well, you're done, aren't you?" Renji asked.

"Not quite," Byakuya said, continuing to look steadily into his eyes, "There is one more thing that you have to do."

"What's that?" the redhead said, feeling like there wasn't enough air in his lungs and stealing a quick breath.

"Close your eyes."

Renji's heart pounded harder and he started to feel dizzy as he complied. Sweet sakura hit his senses, making his legs feel weak, and his former captain's deeply calm voice seemed the only thing left keeping him on his feet.

"I want you to think back to your promotion."

"What? I don't remember anything. I was scared shitless, being in that room full of captains."

"You may have been completely terrified," Byakuya agreed, his voice going softer, but almost seeming to echo in the redhead's roiling mind, "but that was inside. You stood tall, with your shoulders back and your head held high, so that you seemed even taller. Your eyes looked like they had caught fire inside, and your expression was the farthest thing from fear. There was deep pride...courage...strength, all of the things that made you worthy to stand there among us. Think of how it felt when I set the haori on your shoulders and wear that expression."

Some of the fear began to drain away as Renji placed himself back in the captain commander's chamber, surrounded by the other captains, and still flushed with the feeling of victory from having passed the trials. He saw again that moment where Byakuya approached him, moving so slowly that it seemed that time had to have been altered. He felt himself looking into gray eyes that had once reflected only coldness and detachment, but now looked back at him with pride and connection. That, he thought, more than anything else had caused the strength to pour back into his body, to straighten his shaking legs, make him stand taller and return that same expression.

_Something far greater than stances, strikes and bankai releases happened in our training. I didn't look at it that way, at the time, but he was handing down what he, himself, had so carefully learned as a kid. So that, even though he has no child, some part of his heritage will continue with me._

_Damn..._

"Open your eyes, Renji."

He didn't even realize that Byakuya had turned him to face the mirror while his eyes were closed, and the reflection struck him forcefully. He didn't look anything like the rough-edged, young punk who had fought his way out of Inuzuri. Everything about him looked strong, solid and ruggedly beautiful. And proud...fiercely proud.

"How in the hell did you do that?" he managed in a whisper.

Byakuya's lips curved upward very slightly.

"A diamond doesn't look beautiful when it is born," the noble said quietly, "It takes proper care to bring out its true strength and make it shine brightly. But...one does not add quality to it. One only finds what is already there and makes the most of it."

Renji's heart seemed to freeze inside him as highly charged moment passed between the two. Byakuya stood perfectly still, looking back at him and reading his expression. Just as Renji reached the point where he recognized the feeling that was swelling inside him, the noble stepped back, drawing a dragging breath and shattering the moment.

"W-we must go," Byakuya said, turning away, "I still need time...to dress."

"Right," Renji agreed, following.

It didn't escape him that the noble kept his eyes carefully averted as they walked back to Kuchiki Manor together. But, as much as Byakuya wasn't looking at him, other eyes were. The ones that didn't know him looked curious, as though wondering who walked at the side of the most well known noble lord in the Seireitei. And the ones who did know him reacted with surprise and respect, even a little intimidation. Something of that had happened upon his becoming a captain, but that feeling intensified almost painfully as the two passed through the streets and arrived at Kuchiki Manor.

"Where should I wait for you?" Renji asked.

He noted the strangely long pause before Byakuya answered.

"Perhaps in the gardens," he answered quietly.

"I was thinking of returning the favor and dressing you," Renji offered, instigating another long pause, "That was my 'first instinct,' anyway."

He was sure that Byakuya would, of course, politely refuse. His jaw dropped when the noble nodded in acceptance.

"Very well, then."

It took him a moment to force his rubbery legs into motion, and to follow Byakuya into the noble's bedroom. He sat down on the bed, looking out into the garden as Byakuya quickly showered, then returned wearing only a towel. Torio appeared, but reading the noble's expression, only laid out his clothing in the dressing area and stepped aside as Renji moved to Byakuya's side.

The redhead smiled at noting the presence of the kenseiken and the lovely ginpaku kazahana no uzuginu.

"I haven't seen you wear those for a long time," he commented.

"I really only wear them for...special occasions now," Byakuya answered, going silent and looking away as Renji deprived him of his towel and, averting his eyes politely, began to dress him.

_I always thought that taking someone's clothes off was the intimate thing, but this...standing close to him and seeing him completely naked, then being the one to lay the cloth over his skin. _

_This is...indescribable!_

_It makes me wonder what he was thinking while he was putting this kimono on me. It's hard sometimes to read what he's thinking, but I got an idea when I felt the urge to kiss him, and he sensed it and stepped back. I have to be careful now. I don't want to do anything to ruin the trust between us._

_I don't think either of us knows what that moment really meant. But I do know that if I pressure him too much, I could make a mess of things. I don't want to do that._

So, he held himself carefully in check, and dressed him in the kimono that Torio had provided, then wound the long, silk scarf around his throat and slid the fingerless gloves onto his hands. He stepped back behind the noble, chuckling to himself at Byakuya's uncertain expression at seeing the comb in his hand. But the noble stood still as the redhead worked the comb through his hair, which he noticed hadn't nearly as many tangles as his had. He was stymied by the kenseiken and was forced, at that point to seek Torio's help. But he watched closely as the attendant set the decorative pieces in place, then thanked him and met Byakuya's eyes in the mirror.

"Tetsuya and Ichigo should be arriving soon," Byakuya told him, "Come, we will wait in the gardens."

XXXXXXXXXX

"_O-oh!_" Tetsuya groaned, trying to squirm out from underneath the Shiba heir's sprawled body, "Ichigo, it's late! W-we have to..."

His words were stopped as Ichigo grabbed him and brought him back down onto the bed, seeking his mouth and nudging his legs apart.

"Stop that!" Tetsuya complained, struggling for a moment, then sighing in capitulation as his body was forcefully claimed.

"Ichigo!"

He fell quickly back into the feverish, frenzied state that the two had been in all night, wrapping his legs tightly around his fiancé's thrusting hips and grinding hard against him. His hands slid down Ichigo's sides and clutched at his hips, encouraging them in their motions. He panted out an admonition to hurry as his lover's lips left his and hungrily devoured the soft flesh of his throat.

"Ichigo, we'll be late!"

His mouth was claimed again, and kept busy as their pleasure mounted and slowly overcame them. They went breathless and still, collapsing almost immediately as the throes of climax released them, and their weariness quickly returned.

"Sh-shit," Ichigo managed, "Did Kisuke say how we turn this off?"

Tetsuya managed a soft, sleepy laugh.

"He told me that the attractive pheromones ease after conception," he explained, "And it did seem less powerful this time. I think that you just weren't resisting."

"Yeah," Ichigo chuckled, running his fingers through his hair and extracting himself from Tetsuya's plundered body, "Well, you're pretty irresistible."

"But, we _do_ need to go," Tetsuya said firmly, "I am to ride escort to my cousin on the way to the Noble's General Council gathering."

"Right," Ichigo said, looking sheepish, "Sorry about that. I just woke up and you were all curled around me, and..."

"I remember," Tetsuya said, pulling free of him and standing.

He swayed dizzily, the room darkening ominously around him as Ichigo caught him and sat him down again on the edge of the bed.

"You okay?" Ichigo asked in a concerned tone, "Lie down. I'll get Kisuke."

"It's all right," the blue-eyed noble assured him, "My head is already clearing. I just got up too fast."

He got up more slowly and turned towards the bathroom, smiling as Ichigo's arm wrapped around him and the two continued their kissing all of the way. They began to shower, only to succumb once more to the powerful mating urge that Kisuke's manipulations had unlocked in them. Their final joining ended with Tetsuya's fall into a senseless stupor and Ichigo dragging the two of them back to the bed and calling for the shopkeeper as he hastily pulled a blanket over them.

The door opened and Kisuke peeked in.

"You two need something?" Kisuke asked, smirking, "I had Tessai make a large breakfast to recharge you."

"Can you do something to turn this off?" the ginger haired young man complained, "Tetsuya's passed out and I still want to have sex with him! I don't even know how many times we did it last night. We have to have set some kinda record!"

"Don't worry," the shopkeeper reassured him, "That should be wearing off soon, assuming that your fiancé, there has conceived. Let me have a look at him."

Ichigo watched closely as Kisuke peeled back the covers and laid his palms on Tetsuya's slim belly. Tetsuya groaned and spread his legs under the covers, making Kisuke clear his throat and stifle a soft laugh.

"Take it easy. You were successful," he told the barely conscious noble, "Now, let me give you a little reiatsu infusion so that we can get to the council gathering on time, and you won't collapse in the middle of it."

"You're going to the meeting too?" Ichigo asked, looking surprised.

"Yeah," Kisuke affirmed, "I'm not sure why, but they seemed interested in this little experiment."

"You mean, you told them about us?" Ichigo said, blushing, "Kisuke!"

"I didn't tell them that it was the two of you," the shopkeeper said quickly, "So, just keep quiet about that, okay? They probably just want a report on how it's going. But, we'd better get your fiancé back on his feet so we'll get there on time."

"Sure," Ichigo said, his better nature returning, "But he looks pretty done in."

"Yeah, well, these Kuchikis are pretty darned resilient. Maybe I should drop by Kuchiki Manor after the meeting and rile up ol' Byakuya!"

"Don't you dare!" Ichigo snapped, half-seriously, "He'd kill you first for doing that, then he'd fry me for impregnating his cousin before we're even married!"

"Yeah, that might not be so good," Kisuke said, snickering, "You have to live long enough for me to see how my experiment ends!"

"_Kisuke_!"


	6. The Choosing

**Chapter 6: The Choosing**

**(Ah, the Redstravaganza begins! A month full of Renji...seme and uke, rescuer and redhead in distress, tasty however he's served up! Okay, must stop salivating...Anyway, leading off with the newest 'Renji in distress' story and there should be more posts today, so enjoy! Thanks so much to reviewers The Tiny One (So glad you like it! Now the story rolls on.), TomyAllen (LOL, shock doesn't begin to describe what Renji is about to experience. *giggles maniacally*), Alabirdie (Oh, this will be like no council meeting the nobles have seen before! Things will take turns none of them expected.), Airenya (Renji's connection with Byakuya will play heavily into the redhead's state of mind during the meeting and also his course of action when things start to go out of control. Also, Byakuya's protective feelings will be tested. And actually, the council gathering will start here and finish in the next chapter. There's just so much going on and I needed to spread it out a little to bring out all of the intricacies!), Lochness Nessie (Oh, there will be babies to spare in this one, although if Ichi wants to be around to see his, he'd better run faster then Byakuya's petal blades can fly!), E2tavi (Awww, thanks so much!), Princess Moon Shadow (You're so sweet!), Kyuumihaira (Yeah, the explanations happen here, as does the setup for reactions that will play out in the next chapter. Hated to stop, but it will really require two chapters to deal with appropriately. Not to worry, though. I write fast!), Snowflowersister of Toshiro241 (Oh yes! Ichi had better have worn his best shunpo shoes!), Shenigmatic (There will be more moments of warmth and possibility. They are on the verge of love, but need just the right nudge to go over. *gives Renji a hard elbow*), MissLilly2012 (Those emotions will be very important as things move forward. Byakuya has, to this point, been a mentor and leader to Renji, but will be on more shaky ground as the two try to remain friends, but begin to fall in love. Heehee, and Ichi might not have to worry about 'turning it off' if Byakuya catches up with him!), Byakuyafan (I have to admit, I usually write them the other way, but it's good for me to change things up once in a while. I am glad you are enjoying the story!), Scarlotte O'Hara (Oh, I assure you, it will come as a surprise how little 'choice' he actually has, and why that is!),Clobojojo (I think that both Urahara and Ichigo are going to be on Byakuya's 'hit list' soon!), DragonPrincess01 (Awww, so glad you like! More is on the way!), Moegi (Ah yes, although marriage will come first, that long slow fall into love will be a fun trip. And Tetsuya and Ichigo will provide some fun interplay.), Sunless Nights (Awww, thanks! *blushes*), Renji-Bya-Lover (I, myself, think that it's interesting to see how different authors handle the same storyline, because what comes out is usually delightfully different, so don't worry at all about having the same general idea. I am sure that your take on this topic will have its own very enjoyable and unique flavor! I'll be keeping my eye on you! *grins*), and Rayne Destiny (I agree, there's often a rush to get into the physical love, but I like a slow burn that feels more real.) Thanks again to everyone reading and reviewing! Spunky loves ya! I will be working overtime to bring you an avalanche of Renji-ness! Let the Redstravaganza begin!) **

"Tetsuya, are you all right?" Byakuya asked, noting the younger man's paler than usual face, and his less than comfortable expression, "You have looked rather poorly ever since you returned to the manor this morning. Shall I send for a healer?"

"No," Tetsuya sighed, sliding into the seat to Byakuya's right, "I will be all right. I simply...overexerted myself. Erm...training."

The clan leader looked back at him somewhat skeptically.

"Was this _training_ with Ichigo?" he asked.

"Ah, yes, actually," Tetsuya answered, his heart quickening and dizziness beginning to sweep over him again.

"And I imagine it was without protections," Byakuya said dryly.

"W-well..."

"And of course, he is no better at holding back than you are," the clan leader mused, causing Tetsuya to blush and turn his head away to cough, "He has a precocious blade."

Tetsuya bit at his lips, blushing more furiously.

"But then, yours is no less tenacious, though you are more disciplined in its use."

"Y-yes," the younger man managed, stifling the urge to burst into nervous laughter, "I suppose. I am sorry for not showing proper restraint, Byakuya."

"Ah," Byakuya said, shaking his head in resignation, "But who can restrain himself in the face of such temptation?"

"Eh..."

Tetsuya struggled to think of an answer, but was saved from having to say any more as the grand councilor stood and marked the official start to the gathering. As the administrator stood next to the grand councilor and submitted the proposed agenda, Byakuya's eye strayed around the huge meeting hall, noting the presence of the representatives for the upper and lower noble houses. It seemed that nearly every seat was filled, likely on the word that the Akazaki clan was being revived.

_I know, of course, that it will be confirmed that Renji is the heir to that clan. The council would have thoroughly investigated that before ever contacting Renji. But they would save telling him as well as making a general announcement to the other houses until we could all be thus gathered._

_I wonder now if I should have told Renji this._

_But, the way he was upon just the suggestion, I think he needed time to process the possibility alone. And after this meeting, he will , again, need time to absorb just what this discovery and his decision will mean...to the clans, to us, and to him. But even though he does not yet see it about himself, I see it clearly. Renji will bring pride and honor to his house, should he choose to revive it._

His eye strayed to the one empty house box in the chamber, and he wondered how Renji was handling the last moments of being just a child of the Rukongai.

_Because, as of now, he will become someone new...a noble, a clan leader, and patriarch of a new generation._

Byakuya's heart beat fast within his chest as the minutes counted down, as the agenda was read and the councilors all sat down. His breath stopped and he stared with a rapt expression as the grand councilor called them to order and Renji appeared in the area just behind him.

XXXXXXXXXX

"What the fuck am I doing here?" Renji whispered, sweat breaking out on his forehead and his heart pounding as he looked out to where the gathered councilors awaited his introduction, "This is the last place a Rukon brat like me belongs! How did I get myself into this?"

He thought of Byakuya and looked out to where his former captain sat quietly, stoically as always, looking as though nothing reached him, while Renji couldn't stop shaking like a leaf. He tried to think back to that morning, tried to make Byakuya's words come back to him, but all that he could hear was the droning sound of the administrator's voice, calmly reading out the agenda.

But just as the man was winding down and finishing, Renji scanned the room again, and found that Byakuya was looking at him. And there was something about meeting those deep, calm gray eyes that brought the words back from before.

He could almost feel Byakuya's soft, cool fingers touch his unbearably hot, flushed face.

_Close your eyes._

Instantly, he found himself obeying.

His eyes closed and the sounds, the crowd, the very building disappeared. And for that moment, he was back in his apartment again, freshly dressed and standing in front of the mirror with his eyes closed.

"I am sure that word has reached all of you about the sensing of a possible heir to a former clan that was long thought to have perished," the grand councilor said.

But all Renji heard now was Byakuya's quiet intonation.

"_I want you to think back to your promotion."_

Renji's breathing slowed and the panic began to seep out of his heart.

"I am pleased to announce that, after extensive efforts, we have confirmed that there is, in fact, a direct descendant of the Akazaki clan."

It was odd to him to hear the possibility confirmed so suddenly, but he shouldered the fact more calmly as Byakuya's voice continued to sound in his mind.

_"You may have been completely terrified, but that was inside. You stood tall, with your shoulders back and your head held high, so that you seemed even taller. Your eyes looked like they had caught fire inside, and your expression was the farthest thing from fear. There was deep pride...courage...strength, all of the things that made you worthy to stand there among us. Think of how it felt when I set the haori on your shoulders and wear that expression."_

Renji's heartbeat slowed and the dizziness and nausea that had nagged at him faded away.

_"A diamond doesn't look beautiful when it is born. It takes proper care to bring out its true strength and make it shine brightly. But...one does not add quality to it. One only finds what is already there and makes the most of it."_

"Thank you, Byakuya," the redhead whispered, looking across the room and into those calm, expectant eyes.

"Lords and Ladies, please welcome Heir to the Akazaki clan and Eighth Division Captain, Renji Abarai."

Renji's eyes blinked slowly, once, then he set his feet into motion and walked out of the waiting area, turning, as he had been directed to do and, amidst the deafening swell of sound around him, bowing respectfully to the grand councilor before moving into the clan box seat marked with his clan name and standing quietly.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could still see Byakuya, and he was relieved to note a passive expression, meaning that he had not done anything shocking or blatantly wrong in his entry. He felt eyes staring at him from all directions, but the only ones that mattered to him were the ones that looked out from the Kuchiki and Shiba clan sections...Byakuya, Rukia, Tetsuya and Ichigo. He tuned out all of the others and managed to settle himself as they were invited to sit. Then, he listened as the grand councilor went on, figuring that the worst had to be over.

_So, now I'm a clan leader. It's actually real._

He forced himself not to think too much more deeply. He was fully aware that now the pressure would begin for him to repopulate his clan.

_But they'll probably give me time to settle in and gather myself, _he reasoned, _I'm on the young side, so it's not like I have to rush things, right?_

"Welcome, Lord Abarai," the grand councilor went on, "We are pleased that you have joined us, and we know that you will make every effort to bring honor and pride to your clan's name. I am sure that you are curious to learn more about your family, but first, you need to understand that we were, at first, stymied in that we could find almost no information about your clan's background. Even sending couriers and researchers to the Kuchiki family archive, yielded little detailed information. But we were finally able to piece together some pertinent information, with the help of former Twelfth Division Captain Kisuke Urahara. Master Urahara, if you will please stand and inform the council about what you were able to divine about the Akazaki clan."

Renji's eyes widened in surprise.

"What the hell?" he whispered, "_Kisuke_?"

His eyes moved immediately to observe his friends, and he found their expressions likewise surprised and mystified.

Kisuke stood and moved forward, out of the visitors gallery and to the place just in front, where a microphone stood. He nodded to a technician who waited in an area off to the side, and an image of a tall, red haired man who looked even wilder and more feral than Renji appeared on a large screen behind the grand councilor.

"Grand Councilor, if I may?" Kisuke said, turning towards Renji.

"As you will."

"Renji," Kisuke began, then he paused and corrected himself, "_Lord Abarai_, I want you to know that I had no idea that the clan I was researching was the one you were related to. I was studying ways to assist two noble males I know to be able to have children together, and I had some references that led me to the Akazaki clan. But, I didn't know you were a lost heir. In any case, I do have some information that should be helpful to you."

"Go on," the head councilor urged him.

"There is actually," Kisuke began, "an understandable reason why Lord Abarai's clan is not so well known about. The truth is that the reason that I had access to the information and none was found in the highly respectable Kuchiki archive, is because Lord Abarai's clan does not, in fact, originate from within Soul Society."

"What do you mean?" the grand councilor said, frowning, "With the exception of the five great noble clans of legend, all noble clans were born of Soul Society. There were noble quincy clans born of the living world. Do you mean that this clan is a former living world clan?"

"No," Kisuke answered, drawing looks of surprise from all around, "You see, although the five great noble clans were born out of the king's gardens and sent to Soul Society, they are not the only clans that were born of the divine realm."

Renji felt a falling sensation that made his stomach roll, and he registered the surprise that lit Byakuya's eyes, from where he sat, across the room.

"Are you saying that the Akazaki clan...is a greater noble clan?"

"No. The five great noble clans, as you know, were all created in the soul king's garden, by the king, himself, for the express purpose of serving him. The Kuchiki clan was derived of the ancient sakura there and is responsible for the keeping of Seireitei histories, the first Shihoin from a werebeast and made the king's assassin, the first Aomori from the giant silkworm and made craftsman of the king's clothing, the first Mizukiyo of the king's healing pool and gifted with exceptional healing power and the first Shiba from the stones of a great mountain, made the builder of the royal palace."

"Yes, we are aware of the making of the five great lords of the royal realm," the grand councilor noted, "But you are saying that a sixth clan was made there?"

"Yes," Kisuke confirmed, "You are aware that I was once given permission to visit the royal realm, and while there, I was allowed to visit the king's archive."

"And?"

"And while there, I came across the diary of a young crown prince, Kazuhiko. The prince was in line to inherit the throne, but...when the king asked him to choose a bride from the available ladies of the realm, he told his father that not one of the girls was strong spirited enough for him. He would sooner, he said, marry a tiger, that would at least be of some interest to him. The king got angry and called out a red tiger from the gardens. He used his power to transform the tiger into a red haired man with dark tribal tattoos. He named the man Torao Akazaki and told his son, that for his misbehavior, his punishment was to marry a male and know that his legacy would not be carried on. The throne would go to a sibling's child. Unfortunately, before the king and his son could be reconciled, the king was fatally injured by a demon, and on his deathbed, he forgave his son and granted Torao the ability to reproduce, so that he could carry on the son's name. In addition to the new crown prince, they gave birth to ten other sons. The sons not in line for the throne were given noble status."

"But something happened to them," the grand councilor concluded, "What was that, Kisuke Urahara?"

"The prince's sister, whose child would have been the next king except for the king changing his mind on his deathbed, decided that the Akazaki clan didn't deserve to be the bearers of the future kings. She arranged for demons to slay her brother, Torao and his children, so she would be regent and her children would inherit the throne. The diary ends short of telling what happened. The histories in the palace tell that Tarao and a baby, the youngest of their children, were missing after the attack that killed all of the others, and were never found. Kazuhiko was devastated and shortly after, abdicated his throne and disappeared. I think that we can conclude that somehow they made it into Soul Society with that missing child and carried on. There is no record of why they never returned to the spirit dimension. But the sister was executed, and another sibling's line inherited the throne."

"So, you are saying that the Akazaki line carries royal blood as well?" the grand councilor mused, looking around at the stunned faces of the other councilors.

"Yes," Kisuke confirmed, looking up at Renji's deathly pale face and stricken eyes, "So, although the Akazaki clan would rank beneath the five great noble clans because of the prince's abdication and passing of the king's staff to another royal sibling, they would still rank above all other noble clans in the Seireitei."

"I see," said the grand councilor, "So, as a clan of the royal realm and of high status, the Akazaki clan is subject to the rules guiding the great noble clans."

"That would seem to be correct," agreed Kisuke.

"Then, it is of great importance that the clan be assisted in surviving and flourishing. But...you have been researching the reproductive abilities of the Akazaki clan, have you not?"

"I have," Kisuke said, nodding, "From notes in the prince's diary and taken from other materials in the king's archive, I was able to discover a way to affect the reproductive ability of a noble male, using a small amount of the heir's blood that you sent me. There is a genetic code within it, that I was able to manipulate."

Renji reeled as the information struck his ears, and the room around him seemed to spin.

_What? What did he say? M-my blood?_

"And your attempt was successful?" asked the grand councilor.

"So far, yes," Kisuke replied, "I confirmed this morning that the noble male has grown a spirit chamber within him, and through repeated matings with his resonant partner, he has become pregnant."

Tetsuya froze as Byakuya's head turned, and the dark gray eyes fixed on him for a moment, before filling with fury and turning on Ichigo Kurosaki. A short distance away, Ichigo squirmed uncomfortably in his seat, avoiding the Kuchiki clan leader's murderous gaze.

"And," the grand councilor went on, "You can assist Lord Abarai in having children?"

"Yes," said Kisuke, "I can unlock his fertility to either impregnate another male noble or, if his mate is of higher status, cause him to be impregnated. But the children of the clan will all be male. And if they follow the history of their predecessors, they will all seek male partners as well. That is the way of the Akazaki clan."

_F-fertility? _Renji's roiling mind repeated dizzily, _Matings? M-me? Oh, kami, I don't feel so good!_

"Lord Abarai," the grand councilor's voice said, making the redhead jump to his feet, staring.

"Y-yeah?" he said shakily, forgetting all about looking confident.

"You understand that as one of the most powerful and high-ranking clans, you have a profound responsibility to protect the continuance of that clan."

"Wh-what?" Renji said breathlessly, "I thought I had a choice..."

The grand councilor's icy blue eyes looked into his.

"And you would _choose_ to forget the king that took your ancestor from that animal body and granted him the honor of wedding the prince and giving him children? Would you really?"

"Ah...hah, uh..." Renji stammered, too scared to look at Byakuya, "I uh...I guess I..."

"Grand Councilor Yoshinori," Byakuya's voice said calmly, dragging Renji back from the edge of a very large precipice, "Do you not think that Lord Abarai should be given some time to absorb the information? He is likely shocked at learning that so much responsibility will be resting on his shoulders?"

Yoshinori sighed and shook his head regretfully.

"Lord Byakuya, you know well that the rules regarding the higher clans are more restrictive. We are given great privileges, but we are also tasked with great responsibility in return for that. Our charters say that, having been identified as the last heir of a divine realm noble clan, Lord Abarai must marry within thirty days and immediately set about providing for the continuance his clan."

"What?" Renji objected, "Hang on! Just FUCKING WAIT A SECOND, OKAY?"

"Lord Abarai!" the grand councilor said sternly, "You are out of order!"

"Yeah?" Renji panted, glaring back at him, "Well you're out of fucking order if you think you can just force me to get married and start having kids! And I'm not even gay, I don't think! And who's gonna marry me anyway?"

"We have already determined who would be eligible for your hand," Yoshinori said, nodding to the technician, who flashed a set of photos onto the screen behind him, "The group to the left are from the five greater clans and may choose you, if they wish. Or you may choose one from the lower houses, located on the right. If you choose a husband from the right, he will carry the child. If you are chosen by a suitor from the left, you will be the bearer."

Renji froze as he realized that Byakuya's image was among those on the left. He sought the noble's eyes and realized quickly that he had had no idea that the council had been considering him for marriage.

"Tell me something," Renji said, swallowing hard, "Did you even ask these guys if they wanted to sign on to marry me and have kids with me? LOOK AT ME! I'm not like all of you! I'm a Rukon kid, a street rat, born and raised on the dirtiest, roughest streets of Inuzuri! You really think that any of these high-born, respectable guys want to have sex with me?"

"Lord Abarai..."

"Hey, I have an idea," Renji said, anger overtaking his fears and emboldening him, "Why don't we just go around the room and _ask them_!"

"Lord Abarai!"

Renji ignored the staring eyes and left his clan box, looking up at the board and finding the first of the young men listed on the right.

"Jun Mizukiyo," he said, looking into the young man's startled green eyes, "Do you feel like marrying me and having sex with me? You're from a greater clan. You'd get to impregnate me. How does that sound?"

The gentle looking noble's face paled and his mouth opened, but no sound came out.

"It's okay, I understand," Renji said, smiling at him and turning to the next, "How about you, Ibu Yukihana?" he asked, looking into the young man's eyes, "You're a little less lucky. Your house is lower ranked than mine. I guess you'd be having the little bundle of joy."

Ibu took a steadying breath.

"I...I don't think I..." he began.

"Oh?" Renji said, shaking his head, "Not so interested, huh? But, according to him, you have to if I choose you, ne?"

"Ah, y-yes, I...suppose I..."

The redhead turned back to the grand councilor.

"Sir," he said, more calmly, "With all due respect and apologizing for my bad language and manners, I don't think that even one person up there wants to marry me and have sex with me. And why should any of them be forced to do something like that? They were all raised in noble homes. They all were taught proper manners and brought up respectably. I wasn't. And there's no way in hell that in thirty days I can marry one of these guys and make a baby with him. But, just to be sure, let's ask the rest of them."

Renji turned to face the rest of the clan boxes, running his eyes around the room, then closing them.

"Any of you want to marry me and have a kid with me?"

The room went suddenly silent...deathly still.

"I will," a deep, rough voice said.

Renji's eyes opened and he found himself looking at a late middle aged noble with black, narrowed eyes and a sly looking countenance. He stared back at the man wordlessly.

"The name, as you can see is Tan Ishiki, and I am from a subfamily of the Shihoin clan."

He gave the floored redhead a smile that suggested mayhem and made a chill slice down his spine.

"I would be happy to honor the will of the council and choose Lord Abarai for my mate," he said, eyeing Renji closely, "It is hard to find someone spirited enough to be enjoyable and who won't be put off by my were-form."

Renji shivered as the man's body shimmered for a moment, then transformed into a huge, monstrous looking gray wildcat.

"You see," he said, smirking, "An animal like you would be perfect for a beast like me. So, if there are no objections, I will choose Renji Abarai to be my mate!"

The words echoed repeatedly in Renji's overwhelmed mind, blending with a cacophony of sound and light that swirled until everything went black around him and he felt himself begin to fall.


	7. Bonds of Kinship

**Chapter 7: Bonds of Kinship**

"Renji!" Byakuya's deep, concerned voice hissed, cutting into the redhead's reverie, "Renji, wake up!"

"Renji, can you hear us?" Tetsuya's voice asked urgently.

"Wake up, stupid!" snapped Rukia, "What are you doing?"

"Eh?" the redhead managed, dizzily, "Wh-what happened? Where...?"

His eyes blinked open, and he found himself lying on his back, gazing up at the three, with the full contingent of the Noble's General Council in the background.

"Oh!" Renji groaned, grabbing his head, "Ow! What the hell?"

"You struck your head on the floor as you fell," said another youthful, male voice, which he quickly realized belonged to a somewhat familiar face.

"Wh-whoa, you're that kid from the healer family," he said, dazedly, "I thought you didn't want to marry me."

The young man smiled kindly.

"I am not trying to marry you, Lord Abarai," he chuckled, "I saw you fall and strike your head, and honor dictates I must help anyone in need. That is our family mission."

"Ah," the redhead said, his head still spinning wickedly, "That's nice. A family of noble healers."

"Is he going to be all right, Jun?" Byakuya asked quietly.

"Oh, he will be fine," the healer assured them, "He will need to try not to strike his head on anything, at least for the next several days, but he will be fine."

"I don't fucking feel fine!" Renji snapped, irascibly, "That...that _man-cat_ wants to have sex with me! How would any of the rest of you fucking feel about that?"

"Abarai," Byakuya said reprovingly, "You are in the company of the entire Noble's General Council. And while their attention has been diverted for the moment to allow you to recover, I do wish you would make an attempt to use proper manners when speaking to someone here."

"Well, how _proper_ is it that some _guy_ wants to stick his _dick_ up my _ass_ and I don't even fucking _know_ him?" Renji hissed, his eyes wide and his chest heaving, "You want to go out there and let him fuck you, go ahead!"

"_I _am not the heir to the Akazaki clan," Byakuya said sternly, "That is your designation."

"So, I'm just supposed to lie down, spread my legs and let him have at me? Really? Really, Byakuya?"

"How dare you call my brother by his first name!" Rukia reprimanded him.

"Hey! Are you getting that if that guy wants to and nobody else from one of the greater clans objects, he gets to marry me and knock me up? Do you get that, Rukia?" Renji cried, "I think that's a little more important right now than what I call your brother!"

"Understandably," Byakuya agreed, "I assure you, none of us has any trouble comprehending the seriousness of your circumstances."

"My circumstances?" Renji repeated, his breath quickening, "I can't do this! I can't!"

Byakuya said nothing, but Renji could see unusual sympathy in his eyes.

"I could pretend that I was okay with walking in here, standing tall, acting like I wasn't scared outta my wits, learning that I'm from a lost noble clan. I even get that I have a responsibility to get married and make babies so my clan doesn't die out, okay? But I draw the fucking line at letting some old, perverted _freak_ lie down on top of me and...and _do that _to me!"

"I could speak to the gentlemen from the lesser clans," Byakuya offered, "I am sure that there is one among them who would offer himself so that..."

"So that I could do to him what that Shihoin bastard wants to do to me?" Renji objected, "No way. I can't do that. They're all just kids, anyway."

"They are all of legal age," Byakuya said, shaking his head.

"Yeah, barely," said the redhead, "And I could see that I scare the hell out of them."

"Erm..." Jun said softly, "Lord Abarai, I am sorry if I was surprised by what you said before. I didn't mean to sound unwilling to do what is needed."

"Stop right there," Renji said, laying a gentle hand on the young healer's, "You are way too young to be forced into marrying _anybody_...especially someone like me. Thank you for trying to help, but no. I can't do something like that with a nice kid like you."

Jun's eyes somehow managed to look grateful and sad at the same time.

"You are a kind person, Renji Abarai," Jun said, smiling, "I am sorry about this."

"But what are we to do?" Tetsuya queried, "If Renji will not choose from the lower noble houses, then he will be forced to accept the hand of the highest ranked suitor from the greater noble clans."

"And, right now, there's only one," said Rukia, frowning unhappily.

"And the only houses higher than the Shihoin house are the Kuchiki and Shiba houses," observed Byakuya, "The Shiba house had no qualifying suitors."

"What about you?" Renji asked desperately, "You were up there. Can you do it?"

"Renji," Byakuya began, doubt clouding his handsome features, "I don't..."

"Come on!" the redhead pleaded frantically, "It's either that or I am going to be married to that sleazy guy over there and probably getting screwed by him as often as the bastard can catch me!"

"But, Renji, you know that it would mean that..."

"Yeah, I get it. I would have to marry you and let you have sex with me. I know. But to me? That sounds a hell of a lot better than being forced to get into bed with that guy!"

"I am so glad that the prospect of being taken by me is so much more palatable than the other option," Byakuya said, shaking his head, "but..."

"But what? I mean, I know you aren't in love with me and I'm not in love with you, okay? I'm clear on that. And I won't get all weepy and start begging. But, you are at least my friend. We know each other really well. We can just have sex to make the babies, then just keep on being friends, right? And I promise I won't be upset when we've had our babies and you want to separate. I don't mind. Just..._please_ say you'll do this for me, Byakuya, please!"

"Ah," said another male voice that sent a cold, stabbing jolt through Renji, "How are you doing, Lord Abarai? Are you feeling better now?"

"Um..." Renji managed, going breathless as the man came closer.

The redhead saw the man's eyes studying where his clothes had been loosened and his tattoos were peeking out, and he pulled the edges of material back over them and cleared his throat.

"I'm fine," he said, shortly.

"Good," said the man, "I am glad to hear that. Now then, if you are recovered, then we should go about making this official."

"Eh...!" Renji said, jumping to his feet and backing away as the man advanced, "I, uh...well, you see, I..."

"Renji Abarai," Tan said in an even deeper, more sultry voice, "I think that you and I would be very good together."

Renji sucked in a sharp, painful breath as the man cornered him against the wall, and his fingers sought the tattoos on the redhead's tanned throat.

"You are a very handsome young man, and I find your markings exquisite," Tan said seductively, "We are both descended of cats, you of the tiger and me of the were-cat. We are passionate beings."

He smirked at the way Renji's eyes widened as he closed in for a kiss. Renji closed his eyes and turned his head away, raising his hands defensively, but stopping short of hitting the other man. He waited for the man's forceful lips to take his, and was surprised when they didn't.

He cautiously opened an eye, and found that someone had stepped in between the Shihoin lord and him.

"You will want to mind your manners," Byakuya said in a low, threatening tone, his reiatsu swelling around him, "You have not been given any right to touch this man!"

"Not yet," Tan agreed, his black eyes meeting Byakuya's in challenge, "But, as I am the highest ranked noble to attempt to claim him, he will be mine, soon enough. Unless you are planning to seek his hand as well. He is quite a prize, ne? You want him for yourself, do you, Byakuya?"

"I expect that you will treat him with proper respect, no matter whom he is paired with!" Byakuya answered, glaring at the man.

"Then...you are not interested? That means that..."

He paused as a bell sounded, calling the councilors back to their seats. Tan gave Renji a sly, lascivious wink.

"See you out there, Lord Abarai."

"Oh my kami!" Renji said, sucking in a scared breath and sliding down the wall, "I think I'm going to throw up!"

He reeled as Byakuya grabbed him and dragged him back onto his feet.

"Abarai, you are a noble lord now. Stop acting like a child!" he reprimanded the redhead.

"What?"

"Get out there and do what is expected of you. Go."

Renji gave him a crestfallen look.

"You want me to go and say it's okay for that guy to maul me? Is that what you're saying, _friend_?"

Byakuya looked back at him with unreadable eyes and remained silent.

"Thanks," the redhead said shakily, "Thanks a lot."

He straightened his kimono and walked silently past his three friends, out to his clan box and sat down, his head lowered. He didn't look up, even when the grand councilor stood and called the meeting back to order.

"Now then," said Yoshinori, "If you are recovered, Lord Abarai, we will continue."

"Yeah, I'm fine," Renji said, nearly choking on the words and crossing his arms.

"Lord Abarai, you are allowed to choose from the lower houses, if you wish, or if not, you may be chosen by a member of one of the greater noble clans."

"I'm not going to force anyone to marry me," Renji said stiffly.

"Then, it seems that your hand will be claimed by Lord Ishiki?"

Renji froze, unable to force out an answer, but was saved from speaking by a sweetly familiar voice.

"No, it will not," said Byakuya.

Yoshinori looked back at the Kuchiki clan leader in surprise.

"Lord Byakuya," he said, his eyes narrowing, "You wish to claim Renji Abarai's hand?"

"No," Byakuya answered, drawing all eyes onto him, "I wish to _ask_ for Renji Abarai's hand in marriage."

"Ah, I see," said the grand councilor, turning to look at the white-faced Akazaki heir, "Lord Abarai, Lord Kuchiki wishes you to grant him your hand in marriage. As he has _asked_, you are free to accept or refuse."

"I accept!" Renji exclaimed, jumping to his feet, "I accept!"

He caught sight of the disapproving look that Byakuya gave him and straightened, more respectably, clearing his throat.

"Ahem, I mean, yes, thank you. I will gladly accept Lord Kuchiki's hand in marriage."

Byakuya's frown softened and he gave the redhead a very slight nod of approval.

"Very well, then," said Yoshinori, "As the two of you have..."

"A moment, please," said Tan's silken voice.

The grand councilor sighed in annoyance.

"Lord Ishiki, you know that the Kuchiki clan is..."

"Yes, they are higher ranked than the Shihoin clan," Tan agreed, "however, there is a provision stating that because Byakuya Kuchiki did not claim, but _requested_ Lord Abarai's hand in marriage, the request can be challenged by any greater noble clan member and a duel may be scheduled to compete for the hand of the one in question."

"Yes, yes," said Yoshinori, impatiently, "But we have never..."

"I wish to challenge Byakuya Kuchiki to compete for the hand of the Akazaki clan leader," Tan said, meeting Byakuya's eyes with his own narrowed ones.

"Whoa, hold on! Wait. Don't I get a say?" asked Renji, "Byakuya...erm, Lord Kuchiki is of a higher ranking and I said I accept, right? So..."

"I am guaranteed a right to challenge his request for your hand," said Tan.

"Well, he misspoke," Renji insisted, his voice rising, "Right, Lord Kuchiki? You meant to claim me, ne?"

"I did not," Byakuya answered, his calm, deep voice echoing in Renji's roiling mind, "I _asked_ for your hand in marriage, Renji Abarai. And if this fool wishes to challenge me, then I will welcome the opportunity to show him what a mistake it is to place himself in my path!"

"What?" cried the distressed redhead, "Byakuya, what are you doing? Just claim me, okay? You don't have to duel anyone to the death for me, and..."

"Don't be ridiculous, Renji," Byakuya said dismissively, "The duel is not a duel to the death, but a gentleman's competition. We could certainly be injured, but we will not die."

"So, you're going to risk me being married to that..."

Renji stopped himself forcibly.

"T-to Lord Ishiki, when all you have to do is...?"

"Lord Abarai," the Kuchiki leader said calmly, letting his dark eyes flit, for a moment, to meet Tan's, "this man insulted your honor. As such, and being a suitor for your hand, honor dictates that I must defend you. Please give me your blessing to do so."

"What?" Renji mused, blinking, "You could have me already, but you'd rather risk..."

"Are you saying that you do not believe I will win?" Byakuya asked sedately, stopping Renji in his tracks again.

"Well, of course not. You'll trash the bastard...erm...councilor Ishiki," Renji answered, making Yoshinori blink in surprise, then frown at the lack of decorum, "But you don't have to fight him for me, don't you get it?"

Byakuya's eyes froze the redhead in place.

"Renji Abarai, do you not understand? That man insulted you. You are my intended and you are my friend, and I will not allow that. Now, I would ask for your blessing to see this man regrets his disrespectful behavior towards you."

Renji stared back at the Kuchiki leader, caught between feeling touched by Byakuya's protectiveness and being scared shitless that he might still end up married to the lecherous Tan Ishiki. But what he saw in his former captain's eyes calmed him somewhat. He forced down his misgivings and nodded in acceptance.

"Well, if you really feel you need to...though, I would have been fine with you just claiming me."

Byakuya shook his head slightly and took Renji's breath away with his next words.

"No one should simply claim your future, Renji...no one."

Oddly, despite the feeling of doom hanging over him, Renji found himself able to manage a smile.

"Thank you, Lord Kuchiki. Thank you for being willing to defend my honor."

"So then," said the grand councilor, recovering control of the meeting, "We shall adjourn to the dueling grounds and decide this in a gentleman's duel."

"Although, if you ask me, Tan Ishiki is no gentleman," Renji muttered, flinching and blushing brightly as he realized that the microphone in his clan box had picked up the comment.

He had never seen Byakuya Kuchiki roll his eyes in disbelief before.

"S-sorry," Renji said sheepishly.

But even as he apologized, Renji was sure that no one in the room would have disagreed with him...not even Tan, himself.


	8. The Trial of Five Slashes

**Chapter 8: The Trial of Five Slashes**

**(Thanks so much to everyone for being patient while I worked this chapter out! :) My gratitude to Yaoilifesnecessity (Oh, you should enjoy this chapter!), Renji-Bya-Lover (a hint of Byakuya's thinking will appear in this chapter and will be a focal point in the story, causing interesting ripples.), Ookami no Kurayami (Ah yes, and the fight will bring out more of what the two really feel for each other.), phAnt0mgh0st7018 (Oh, he will!), Branecandi (Thanks so very much! I will keep the chapters rolling!), Princess Moon Shadow (Thanks so much!), Alabirdie (Ah, expect the unexpected! And yes, the chapters will keep coming! Thanks so much!), Kyuumihaira (I'm sure Bya will do Renji proud!), Yamalover (And what happens next will inspire a whole lot of additional cuteness between the two.), MissLilly2012 (Ah yes, and despite a few serious turns, here and there, this story will keep its sense of humor. There will be much more cuteness and some funny Renji awkwardness and moments of adorable boldness that will touch his former captain's not-so-well-hidden (from Renji, anyway!) heart!), Snowflowersister of Toshiro241 (I think a goo romance has to have a good mix of depth and lightness, of serious turns and playful interplay. I will do my darndest to make that happen here!), Chunk-ie (I try really hard to capture the heart of the characters and to bring their unique nature into the story. I don't think much could make Renji any less Renji. He is a real standout character! And so very fun to write!), TomyAllen (Oh, he will get kicked around and quite infuriated!), Je-Pi (You've got it! Here's one now, and more are on the way!), Kintama-Hime (Oh, he will stick to the rules...mostly!), DieRedPineapple (Oh, that wedding night will be something special and Byakuya protecting pregnant Renji...I could die of the cuteness to come!), and Scarlotte O'Hara (Yeah, Renji was quite enthusiastic to escape Tan. I wonder how he'll do on that wedding night!) Enjoy the chapter!)**

"Now then," said Yoshinori, "The two of you will please face each other."'

He waited as the two men complied, then nodded to the others.

"Viewers will please adjourn now for the gallery."

Renji met Byakuya's eyes somewhat anxiously, still worried at the fact that one glitch or mistake and he could be married to lecherous Shihoin lord.

"Look, I don't want to insult you or anything here," he said, frowning, "but...be careful, okay? Maybe this isn't a match to the death or anything, but he doesn't look like a guy who always plays by the rules."

"You needn't worry, Renji," Byakuya replied, lowering his eyes, "My family has a long history of association with the Shihoin clan. I believe that I can anticipate him well enough to compensate for his enhanced speed."

"Well, be careful anyway," the redhead said, shaking his head, "Something about that guy really gives me the creeps."

"It is a common trait in that family," Byakuya said dryly, prompting the redhead to grin despite his worry, "I will be glad to take his arrogance down a few pegs."

"All right, then," Renji said, steeling himself.

He thought for a moment, then paused and removed the wrist bands that, along with his decorative headband, had been a gift from the noble to celebrate his success in being officially recognized by the Gotei 13 as 'Captain Level,' following the battle against Aizen.

"What are you doing?" Byakuya asked curiously, watching as the redhead slid the wristbands onto the noble's wrists, covering the base of the fingerless gloves.

"Well," Renji said, smiling and blushing slightly, "It's kind of like in the myths you've been telling me about sometimes, you know, where the knight is about to go into battle, and the girl he's defending gives him something to...um...something like a..."

"A token?" Byakuya supplied, arching an eyebrow, "I see. It does seem fitting. Then, I shall reply as a chivalrous gentleman, of course."

Renji's heart skipped and throbbed as Byakuya's hand captured his and brought it to his lips, brushing them, ever so lightly against the area just beyond his knuckles.

"Arigatou, Lord Abarai. I will do my best to honor you."

Renji's blush deepened.

"Eh...thanks, Lord Kuchiki," he said, stepping back and starting towards the gallery.

"How very charming," Tan said slyly, "You are one smooth operator, Byakuya."

"That is Lord Kuchiki to you," Byakuya said in a low tone of challenge, "And I do not know what you mean."

"Ahem," Yoshinori said, drawing their attention away from each other, "The council has decided on the 'Trial of Five Slashes.' Pursuant to the rules established in our charters, you are to attempt to slash each other five times, using your physical weapons, sword releases or edged kido. Wounds inflicted by impact, or by falls or blunt strikes do not count as 'slashes.' A bell will ring each time the judges record a slash, and the counter will be up on that sign board, behind the judge's viewing area showing each combatant's total points,. The match will end when the first of you has reached five points. Have you any questions?"

"I just have one for _Lord Kuchiki_," Tan said mockingly, "How long have you been lusting after him?"

"Lord Shihoin, you are out of order!" Yoshinori snapped.

"Out of order and making no sense," Byakuya agreed, "As I said before, I don't know what you are talking about."

"No more of that behavior," the grand councilor warned the Shihoin lord sternly, "Any more rule breaking or ungentlemanly conduct and you will have a point deducted! Now, face each other and bow."

The two clan lords glared at each other meaningfully and bowed their heads slightly.

"Begin."

Immediately, the shihoin lord disappeared in a brutally swift flash step, slashing at Byakuya, who seemed not to have moved. Blood leaked onto the Kuchiki leader's skin, prompting one of the judges to reach for the counter button. But, he paused as Byakuya's afterimage shattered, and the clan leader appeared near Tan, slashing several times with his sword and nearly landing a hit, before the Shihoin lord vanished again. This time, an oddly long time passed, and he did not reappear.

"You don't know this move, do you?" Tan asked dulcetly, "It is one that I developed myself. A unique repeated flash step that blinds the opponent to my position for up to ten steps. Can you dodge it, Byakuya?"

Byakuya sensed the incoming strike and launched himself into the air, only to see Tan reappear in the air, next to him, shifted into wildcat form. The Shihoin lord's feline claws slashed at him as he flash stepped away and paused at a short distance from the other man as Tan settled back onto the ground, grinning wickedly at him.

Renji, Tetsuya and Rukia gave muted gasps of dismay as two thin lines of blood formed on Byakuya's arm and on one porcelain cheek, and the counter bell rang twice.

"That was careless," Tan said teasingly, "If you keep that up, I will be at home in bed, enjoying your former subordinate's very attractive _assets_ by nightfall."

"Don't flatter yourself," Byakuya huffed softly, ignoring the marks on his skin, "You may have cut me, but you will _never_ dishonor Renji."

Byakuya flash stepped again, raising the spiritual pressure around him to help ward off further cuts.

"Oh, I will dishonor him plenty," the Shihoin lord went on, "I'll begin by very slowly undressing him...peeling the layers of his kimono away and slowly baring his lovely golden skin and handsome tattoos to the soft light."

The wildcat spun away and danced clear of Byakuya's sword as the Kuchiki leader suddenly attacked. Byakuya flash stepped back as the wildcat seemed to anticipate him, and almost drew him off guard.

"Oh, you are very reactive," Tan noted, smirking, "Did that last image I painted for you turn you on? You would like to see him naked? Or have you already?"

"What are you...?"

"Come now, Byakuya," Tan said, stalking Byakuya slowly, "He was your subordinate. Do you mean to tell me that you simply sat across from him, admiring him from a distance? You never indulged in a little bit of seductive play? I don't believe it."

Tan hissed and flash stepped madly as Byakuya's shikai erupted around him and the cloud of blade petals slashed at him. He appeared a short distance away, blood leaking from wounds that matched the two he had given Byakuya.

But a second later, the image of the wildcat disappeared, and the bell rang again as a cut appeared on Byakuya's other cheek.

"Where am I now?" Tan taunted him, "You know I will inflict the final two cuts on my next reappearance, Byakuya. There is nothing that you can do now. Face it that you have lost!"

The Shihoin lord snarled as Byakuya's image shimmered and faded and the Kuchiki leader did not immediately reappear.

"What are you doing?" Tan growled, "You can't have figured out that flash step I created, upon only seeing it once!"

The Shihoin lord flash stepped furiously as he was forced to reappear, and Byakuya appeared near him and loosed a flurry of blade petals.

"The judges apologize," said Yoshinori, "It seems that Lord Shihoin did not, in fact, strike Lord Kuchiki a third time. The counter stands at two for Lord Shihoin and no points for Lord Kuchiki."

"Tell me how you did that," Tan growled, circling and digging his sharp claws into the dirt.

His lean feline body coiled in preparation to strike.

"No one knows how to do that flash step, but me!"

Byakuya gave him a solemn, disdainful look.

"My senpai knows how it is done," he stated mockingly, "And I, as you should have guessed, have continued to train with her, since the war against Aizen. You are to be commended for striking me the first time with that technique. I am still new to defending against it. But, you will not strike me with that move again, Tan Ishiki."

"But you have yet to land a single blow and I have given you two. This battle is nearly over and you have not touched me!"

"So, you say that the battle is nearly won, do you?" Byakuya replied in a low, calm voice, "You are quite arrogant. Blustering about what you know and what you are going to do. Your mind is not focused on the battle at hand, and that is going to cost you!"

Tan reacted instantly, disappearing again, as Byakuya, too, disappeared. The two reappeared a few steps away from each other and two more cuts opened up on Byakuya's chest and sword hand. Tan scowled as the bell rang twice.

"You arrogant bastard!" he snarled, "You didn't even _try_ to stop me or cut me! Are you just playing with me or what?"

"Not at all," Byakuya said quietly, blinking slowly, "I am merely setting the groundwork for my victory. I have let you land four cuts so that you stand at the very cusp of victory. You should be grateful I have been so lenient, because, you see, I could have taken you apart within a moment of the beginning of this match. Would you like me to demonstrate?"

"Do your worst!" snapped the Shihoin lord, but you will not break through my defenses! You see how I have thickened the reiatsu around my feline body. And my fur is a natural protection from your cutting slashes. You are going to be very sorry that you let me get ahead of you like that, you fool! I will be home in bed, fucking your pretty little red-haired whore, before you can take another breath!"

"Is that so?" Byakuya asked mockingly, "You think this battle is already won? Shouldn't you go through the tiresome step of making the last strike?"

Tan disappeared again, while Byakuya stood still and closed his eyes.

"Bakudo number sixty-one," he said sedately, "Rikojokoro."

Tan emitted a catlike shriek as he reappeared, captured in the six rod prison of light.

Oddly, Byakuya did not strike the imprisoned Shihoin lord, but moved into a series of swift flash steps, swirling his petal blades around him defensively, as the image of the trapped Shihoin lord broke apart and Tan flew at him, striking out madly, trying desperately to land the match winning cut.

"Damn you!" Tan spat, slashing at him, then dodging the bulk of the blades and shielding against the ones that slipped through with his reiatsu and thick fur, "You are going to lose, Byakuya! I will not give in to you! Renji Abarai is going to be mine, and I am going to take out the price for your arrogance on his body!"

"You will do nothing of the sort!" Byakuya chided him, "But you will pay for your lewd behavior and foul talk."

The Shihoin lord howled in dismay as kido erupted from Byakuya's hands, throwing him to the ground and making him tumble over, several times before recovering himself and rising onto slightly shaking legs.

"I will hurt him!" Tan hissed warningly, "I will tie him down and do things to him that you don't dare to imagine! I will leave scratches on his back. Yes, red blood to contrast with those black markings! I will squeeze pleas for mercy out of that belligerent mouth of his! I will leave him in a pool of his own blood! But...you already know how lovely and erotic that sight is, ne?"

"What do you mean?" Byakuya asked.

"You cut him down that once," Tan said, smirking as he realized he had touched a nerve, "You remember watching him fall down into a pool of his own blood. Is that when you decided you wanted him? Did it turn you on to see him in pain?"

"You are delusional," Byakuya said, frowning and evading the wildcat's hurled body as Tan struck at him again, "But, I am through listening to you turn my friendship with Renji into something obscene. How dare you say such things!"

"Huh! Then, if you oppose them so much, _make me stop saying them!_ Come on and stop playing games. Watch how quickly I finish you! And don't think I will hold back. Even though we are not fighting to the death, you could die when I strike next!"

The wildcat moved suddenly, thrusting his extended claw through Byakuya's uprotected chest. Blood exploded from the wound, then shimmered and disappeared with the afterimage the noble had left when he flash stepped away.

Tan flinched in surprise as he felt a flicker of pain and a wound opened up on his arm and the counter bell rang.

"What did you do, you bastard?" Tan demanded, "How did you...?"

He flash stepped wildly again, then paused as another wound appeared on his face and the bell rang again.

"What is this? How are you doing this?"

Byakuya paused, looking back at him silently for a moment.

"It is referred to as 'light bending,' although that is a simplistic term," he explained, "As you know, my blade petals are not visible unless touched by the light. By employing this secret technique that I created, I can negate the light around my petals so that you cannot see them until they touch you."

Tan squawked and wheeled away as a third wound seeped blood onto his chest, then a fourth opened up on his sword arm.

"Now, you told me that there was no way that I was going to defeat you, that you had already nearly won. I think I have shown you what a baseless and arrogant claim that was. But this grows tedious. I am going to end this, but first, I want you to apologize to Renji for insulting him."

"What?" Tan objected, "You are insane if you think I will lower myself in front of the council and at the feet of that red-haired mongrel! I don't care that he _is_ related to the Akazaki clan! That clan was a clan of outcasts! You know that!"

"To the contrary," Byakuya said, taking a step forward, "The truth is quite the opposite."

He glanced up to where Renji looked down at him from the viewing gallery, "The Akazaki clan is an honorable clan, with strong ties to the royal family. Renji's is a legacy of the strength and strong will of the red tiger that was his forebear. You have no concept of what that strength is. I have stood opposed to this man, and I will tell you, that the same strength that ran through his ancestor, runs through his veins. And like that proud tiger he descends from, Renji will never be made into less than that, especially not by the likes of you!"

Tan howled as another hard kido blast knocked him off his feet and sent him sprawling.

"Now, apologize."

"No!"

Another hard blast sent the Shihoin lord's body flying into the air.

"Lord Kuchiki, you violate the spirit of this competition with ungentlemanly conduct. One point is deducted."

Byakuya ignored the warning and leveled Tan Ishiki with another hard kido blast.

"Lord Kuchiki, you have lost another point!"

Byakuya only answered with another kido blast that sent Tan tumbling into the wall at the base of the viewing gallery.

"Lord Kuchiki!" Yoshinori shouted, "You have lost another point!"

Byakuya disappeared in a flash step, and Tan yelped in surprise as the Kuchiki heir grabbed his wildcat form by the scruff of the neck and lifted him into the air. He struggled madly, reaching with his front and hind claws to reach the slender body that stood just beyond his reach.

"You are reprehensible," Byakuya said, glaring into his eyes, "You do not deserve the title of 'Shihoin lord!' You are a disgrace even to that dubious name!"

He threw the Shihoin lord down in front of the gallery, locking him in place with a binding kido, then recalled his blade to his hand and placed the tip against Tan's back.

"What are you going to do?" Tan mocked him, "Are you going to commit murder, right in front of all of these councilors? You will be executed!"

"Then, I will die proudly," Byakuya said coldly, "Apologize to Renji."

"Lord Kuchiki! You have lost your final point and you are about to be forced to forfeit this competition!" Yoshinori said warningly, "Now, make your cuts. You obviously have Lord Shihoin in a hopeless position."

Byakuya glared down into Tan's eyes, deadly rage boiling, just beneath the surface.

"If you ever insult Renji's honor again, points won't matter, and I will gladly trade my life to make you pay for the privilege," the Kuchiki heir said in a dark, hateful voice that Renji had never heard him use before.

Uncertainty entered Tan's eyes, then outright fear as he struggled against the kido that held him. The forces holding him suddenly shattered, and the Shihoin lord gave a feline screech and launched himself at Byakuya, his claws tearing. The Kuchiki leader disappeared and five quick slashes sounded, making the necessary cuts as the counter bell rang five times in quick succession. Tan landed in a crouch, returning to shinigami form as Yoshinori's voice sounded.

"Byakuya Kuchiki is the winner of this trial. He is hereby awarded the right to The Akazaki leader, Renji Abarai's hand in marriage!"

The barrier around the fighting area dropped and Byakuya turned away from the Shihoin lord to meet Renji's relieved gaze. He started to smile at the redhead, but saw sudden fear touch Renji's eyes and turned back towards Tan as the Shihoin lord screamed in defiance and launched himself, his sword extended, at Byakuya, too quickly for the Kuchiki leader to react.

A blazing flash step sounded, and Renji appeared between the two, sword in hand and thrusting into Tan's chest. Byakuya froze, staring, as Tan's sword impaled Renji as well, and the two men sank to their knees, their blood erupting in crimson splashes and running freely down their impaled forms.

"Renji!" Byakuya gasped, capturing the redhead as he fell back, and kicking Tan's collapsing form away, "Renji!"

Flash steps sounded all around the two and several councilors held the injured Shihoin lord back as he tried to come at them again.

"This isn't over, Byakuya!" he hissed, "You and that Akazaki trash will pay for insulting me!"

Byakuya acted as though he hadn't heard, remaining where he was and holding the injured redhead in his arms as several healers reached them. He stared disbelievingly down into Renji's eyes, lost for words for several long moments.

"Why did you do that?" he asked in a soft, sad whisper.

Renji managed a weak smile and squeezed his hand affectionately.

"Because fucking _nobody_ messes with my captain!"

"_Baka_!" Byakuya reprimanded him, forcing down the hard emotion that raked at his insides, "I am _not _your captain anymore! You aren't allowed to die for me."

"N-no?" Renji panted, grinning, "I'll ah...try to keep that in mind."

"Fool!" Byakuya snapped, his head bowing and his eyes closing against the rising knot of fear inside, "I have already lost one spouse. I am _not_ losing you!"

Renji looked up at him through hazy eyes, reading the intense pain that flared just beneath the dark surfaces.

"Okay, then," he said, more seriously, his eyes blinking and beginning to close, "I promise I won't die, then."

"Renji!" Byakuya whispered, his heart pounding as the redhead lost consciousness.

"It will be all right," said the gentle voice of the Mizukiyo heir, "I can heal him. He is badly injured, but it is not beyond my ability. He will be okay, Lord Kuchiki."

"Thank you, Jun," the Kuchiki leader said in a dazed tone, his eyes on Renji's face, but his heart fired back to one of the worst days of his life.

_I won't think about that...about that day, and why I wanted, at first, to refuse Renji's request for me to marry him. I know that pain that invades the heart, when a part of it is lost. What is so strange is that I began to feel that kind of pain for Renji, just now._

_And we are not even married yet._

_How bad will it be if we marry and I lose him?_

_What have I gotten myself into?_


	9. Dreaming of You

**Chapter 9: Dreaming of You**

**(Ah! I confess to listening to Selena's **_**Dreaming of You **_**and **_**I Could Fall in Love**_**, with a chaser of **_**Me Enamore de ti **_**by Chayanne. Yeah, I was in a **_**really **_**relaxed and romantic mood, perfect for thoughtful writing. So, here's another chapter for you guys. Thanks so very much for so many kind reviews. I see so many others are caught up in the romance too. I love falling in love...Anyway, I will catch up on shout outs on the next chapter, since I want to get this one out before I fall asleep and start having Bya/Ren dreams. Enjoy everyone. Spunky loves ya'!)**

Renji's mind drifted lazily in a deep, but comforting haze, images coming and going and adding to the surreal feel of his reverie. And everything he experienced seemed to revolve around that one person, the man who first had been his rival, then became his mentor, then finally, his steadfast friend. But strangely, where Byakuya appeared in his dreams, the quiet noble was surrounded in soft. beautiful light, casually dressed and nearly always accompanied by his red haired former vice captain.

_Renji looked up from his work, noting the late hour and wondering just how much longer it would be until his workaholic captain would excuse him to go home. He knew that there were just too many things that had to be done on certain schedules and be finished on time, but the unfairness of it sometimes infuriated him. He looked up, knowing before his eyes came to rest on Byakuya, that the stoic man would just be doing as he always did...looking quietly down at the page in front of him as though the world had ceased to exist and completing it, then turning his attention onto the next report without pausing to so much as breathe._

_It seemed too sad to Renji that, not only did he have to sit at his damned desk and work himself to death, Byakuya, who had everything he wanted and didn't even have to hold the captain's position, tied himself to that stupid desk and worked just as hard, missing out on evenings that could have been spent doing so many other things! Walking in his gardens, alongside his cousin, Tetsuya, kneeling quietly next to his koi pond, dressed in a sleeping yukata with his long, silken hair fluttering in the light breezes while his slender hand extended over the water and sprinkled the fish food on the surface._

_Or dancing..._

_And as Renji imagined him dancing, he suddenly found himself being held in the noble's arms, looking down into those lovely, dark eyes that lit inside at being able to escape the deadly boredom and dance under the moonlight. It was beautiful seeing him smile up at his friend as they stepped and turned slowly together. And looking down into that peaceful, contented expression made Renji feel that odd fluttering feeling that he had felt before._

_And knowing it was a dream, he could lean forward and meet Byakuya's sweet, warm lips. He had to close his eyes while they kissed, because the feelings became too dizzying, looking at each other like that. But, even not looking, he still felt the pleasant pressure of those lips, the way the noble's fingers clenched his front to pull him closer and kiss him harder, and sound of the amorous sigh that escaped him at being kissed so passionately._

_"It's not so bad, right?" he said, opening his eyes and looking into Byakuya's eyes again, "This...us...I could be happy like this."_

_And dream-Byakuya smiled at him and nodded, touching his face with cool fingertips and seeking his mouth again._

_"So, this is all right with you?"_

_"Of course it is all right," the noble chided him, "I agreed to it, did I not? I would not have done that if I did not think it was all right."_

_"But, we were supposed to just stay friends. We weren't supposed to fall in love."_

_"Whoever said that we weren't supposed to fall in love? Being friends is not that far a step from being lovers, Renji. It is only a slight shift in thinking."_

_"Then...if you are my lover, we can...be together now?"_

_"Is this what you want?" Byakuya asked, tilting his head so that the moon reflected in his eyes._

_"Y-yeah. I didn't think I was like that, but...you are different. I feel different when I'm with you. However close we are, I feel like I want to be closer."_

_He went breathless as Byakuya's hand reached out to him._

_"Come, then, my love. Be with me."_

_Sweet shivers went through the redhead's body at the touch of that slender hand as it took his and they started towards the bedroom._

_His heart pounded wildly, wondering what would happen next, but when he stepped through the doorway, he found Byakuya already in bed, curled around his pillows and sleeping. He looked enchanting with the moonlight that came in through the garden doors making him glow softly._

_"Like an angel," Renji whispered._

_He wondered, all of a sudden, if he should really be there. He remembered them dancing together, and Byakuya inviting him in, but it seemed wrong now to wake him. Instead, Renji knelt at his bedside, resting his head on the edge of the bed, near where one of the noble's hands rested and watching his husband dream. He grinned and chuckled softly as Byakuya's hand moved and his fingers tangled in the redhead's mussed hair._

_The dark eyes opened and fixed on him quietly._

_"Aren't you coming to bed, Renji?" he asked, stifling a yawn, "It is late."_

_"I can sleep with you?" Renji asked, smiling._

_"Hmph, we are married," the noble said sleepily, "Who else would you be sleeping with?"_

_Renji's grin widened._

_"Right, I'll just..."_

_He lost his breath as Byakuya's hand grabbed the front of his yukata and dragged him down into a long, open-mouthed kiss. And his kiss was so warm and sweet and perfect, Renji couldn't pull away. He kept sinking deeper into that wonderful place, caressing the soft and hard surfaces, then probing deeply and savoring the noble's unique flavors. _

_And as they kissed, Renji's hands found the tie at the noble's waist and pulled it free._

"Lord Kuchiki," a soft voice said, breaking into the haze around the semi-conscious redhead, "You really must try to sleep. I promise you, he will be all right now."

"Wh-what?" Renji moaned, coming partly awake.

His eyed opened into slits and took in a quick glimpse of Byakuya's weary, and oddly worried face.

"What's goin' on?" he groaned, wincing and reaching a hand towards his chest as a sharp pain passed through it.

"Don't, Renji," Byakuya said, capturing his hand and holding it firmly, "You will pull off the bandages again. Go back to sleep."

The redhead blinked, confused at seeing Jun's youthful face next to Byakuya's.

"What's he doing here? This...this is my place, right?"

"It is," Jun confirmed, "I thought you would rest more comfortably here than in the fourth division, since your fiance informed me of your aversion to needles."

"Ah...hah, r-right," Renji panted, trying to sit up, then making a guttural sound of pain as Byakuya's arms wrapped around him, stopping him and laying him slowly back down on the bed. The noble froze as Renji's dazed eyes blinked several times, then the redhead's hands pulled him down and into a surprisingly powerful kiss.

Byakuya stiffened and his eyes flew open wide with surprise. Not wanting to hurt his semi-conscious fiancé, he sent a gentle throb of kido through him, then looked steadily into his clouded, brown eyes as he dropped off again, his lips still pressed to Byakuya's. Byakuya pulled away slowly, touching his fingers to his lips and frowning thoughtfully as he watched Renji sleep.

"He is a passionate person," observed Jun, "He really seems to love you. It is good that you two will be married."

"But...we are...just friends," Byakuya said in a soft, confused tone, "Renji asked me to do this so that he wouldn't have to make a child with a stranger. We...have worked together for some time, so it makes sense that we would be comfortable with each other."

Jun gave him a gentle, amused smile.

"Lord Byakuya, there is more going on between you and Lord Abarai than 'just friendship.' That is clear as day. But this is a good thing, no? You will be very happy together."

"Hmmm," the Kuchiki leader huffed, "Until the fool gets himself killed in some silly show of protectiveness."

"You are a fine one to speak to me of one being overprotective!" Jun laughed, "Have you forgotten that I was among the healers who kept you alive after you were stricken down, protecting your sister from Sousuke Aizen?"

"I have not forgotten," Byakuya said quietly, his eyes unable to leave the injured redhead, "That is why I entrusted Renji's care to you."

"Then, you should listen to me. It is not good for you to keep so much inside, Lord Byakuya."

"What would you have me do?" the Kuchiki heir mused, "Renji did not ask me to be his lover. He did not seek a real marriage, but a way to escape being married to someone he did not know."

"But it is clear that he is falling in love with you now. And why should you not? You are going to be married."

Byakuya lowered his eyes and shook his head gently.

"We are only going to remain married until Renji's commitment to providing heirs for his clan is seen to. That is all that he has asked of me, and I have no right to expect more than that."

"But, you won't even ask?" queried Jun, frowning, "Don't you _want_ more?"

"This is not about what I want, Jun. This is a simple agreement."

"Ah, very well," sighed the healer, shaking his head ruefully, I imagine you know what you are doing. But Lord Kuchiki, though I am going to let that issue go, I am not going to leave until you lie down and rest. You have been up all night."

"Alongside you," Byakuya countered.

"But, I am going to go home and rest now. And I hope that you will lie down and rest, yourself. The next room is made up. You will be close to Renji if he needs anything. But he is going to be fine. Like you, he only needs rest and occasional infusions of reiatsu."

The healer rose and stretched, then started out of the room. Byakuya followed him to the apartment door and nodded briefly in gratitude.

"Thank you, Jun. I appreciate you taking care of Renji. He is a powerful captain, but he is still sometimes reckless."

"Yes," Jun agreed, "I think he would do anything to protect the people he loves."

Byakuya's eyes closed for a moment, then opened again and met Jun's.

"Again, I thank you."

"I will come by in the afternoon to check on the two of you. And if you have still not slept, I am going to place you under a sleep kido."

"I will rest," the noble sighed sleepily.

"Good," Jun said, good naturedly, his bright eyes twinkling with amusement, "Farewell, Lord Kuchiki."

Byakuya nodded in parting, then closed the apartment door. He leaned against the door, reeling with weariness and breathing deeply to stir his drowsy mind. He walked back to the kitchen and prepared a pot of tea, then sat down at the table, taking sips and thinking about Jun's words.

_"He is a passionate person. He really seems to love you."_

He blinked slowly and took a sip of the tea.

_He loves me in the way of a friend. He only kissed me like that because he was delirious. He didn't mean it. And he will never even know that he did it. Jun is discreet enough not to say anything, and I certainly won't. It would surely be embarrassing for him._

He felt a soft tremor inside as he felt that powerful kiss on his tingling lips again. He let a soft fingertip run along them and looked quietly at his reflection in the kitchen window.

_I can't be anyone's lover._

_I can't do that again._

_As this incident proves, Renji's passions are so strong that he would abandon his own safety for my protection. I thought that my worries over that ended when he achieved captaincy, and my protection became Rikichi's concern. But this...what he did at the council hall...I cannot allow him to take such chances...especially once he becomes pregnant. It is far too risky._

_No._

_I won't watch the kind of thing I witnessed today, ever again. When he wakes, I will act as though that kiss never happened, and I will rededicate myself to just being the friend Renji needs for this task._

_And when he leaves me, I will have one of the children to raise as my heir...and to remember him by. _

_That will be enough for me. I will enjoy our closeness, while we are together. And when the time comes, I will let go gracefully._

He flinched and his eyes darted to the kitchen doorway as a discomfited groan sounded down the hallway. Byakuya left the tea on the table and hurried back to the redhead's bedside, where he sat down and quickly scanned his reiatsu.

"It is all right," he assured the mumbling redhead, "You only need a short infusion of reiatsu. Yours has dropped some again. Lie still, Renji."

Renji's fevered eyes opened and regarded him for a moment, then he groaned again and tried to grab at the bandages on his chest.

"Stop it," Byakuya reprimanded him gently, taking his hands and holding them away, "You will make your wound bleed again. Here, I will give you a pain block."

Swallowing hard and feeling a blush seep onto his face, he peeled back the sweat dampened yukata and placed a hand on Renji's bandaged chest. He tried not to notice the way his heart skipped at the sight of the bold tattoos that peeked out from under the bandages and spread out over the rest of his golden-tanned skin. An unbidden smile touched his lips, and he spread out the yukata, baring more of Renji's body than was strictly necessary for the infusion.

_He is an exotically beautiful person._

_Very unique._

_Exquisite._

He breathed the incantation for the pain block, then watched as his power seeped into Renji's body, injecting it with relieving numbness and calming him back into a deeper sleep. He finished with a longer infusion of reiatsu that left the redhead sleeping like a baby, but had the Kuchiki leader ready to nod off again.

Byakuya rose and walked to the closet, where he found a yukata to borrow, then a towel. He walked into the bathroom and hung the towel up beside the shower, before turning the shower on and stepping in under the hot spray. The blazing hot, pounding water revived him, splashing onto his skin and running down his body in fine, dribbling rivulets. He bathed himself slowly, lingering over his body with the soap and then washing his long, silken black hair. He closed his eyes for a moment, swaying slightly as weariness stole over him. He have the oddest sense of not being alone, then opened his eyes and gasped in surprise as Renji opened the shower door and met his eyes dazedly.

"R-renji?" he managed as the redhead seemed to overlook him and climbed into the shower with him, "Baka! You are going to get your bandages wet."

Shaking his head and frowning, he turned the redhead's back to the water and interposed himself so that he controlled the fall of water onto Renji's body.

"You should be in bed," he chided the younger man.

"Felt dirty and smelly," Renji said dizzily, still not seeming to connect to the fact of Byakuya being in the shower with him, "S-sorry."

"It's fine," Byakuya said, warming his back with the water, then massaging his muscular shoulders and strong back.

He captured the tangled hair and washed it twice, then found a comb and untangled it, then braided it while it was still wet. He coaxed the redhead out of the shower and turned it off, then dried him thoroughly and led him back to bed. He removed the damp bandages and fastidiously cleaned the healed wound, then replaced the bandages and closed the redhead's yukata. He tucked Renji in, then remained next to him on the bed, wondering what to do. He ached to lie down and go to sleep, but he worried that if he slept in the next room, he might be so tired that Renji's sounds of distress might not reach him.

_But, we have already slept alongside each other before. It won't be..._

His thoughts were derailed as Renji turned in his sleep and wrapped his arms around the surprised clan leader, bringing him down onto the bed, then curling around him tightly.

_Oh!_

His heart pounded wildly as he wondered if the redhead would start kissing him again. But Renji only mumbled at him incoherently before placing a kiss on his cheek and squeezing him tighter.

"G'night, Bya."

Byakuya's eyes darkened for a moment at the rude truncation of his name, but he found that he actually rather liked the way it sounded on Renji's lips. So he yawned sleepily and settled more deeply in Renji's arms, succumbing to sleep feeling abundantly warm and cozy.

"Good night, Renji," he whispered, flinching and feeling a sweet shiver pass through him as Renji's hot lips touched the back of his neck, "And...thank you for protecting me...as wrong as it was for you to risk your life like that."

He was grateful as it seemed that the redhead was too senseless to hear, but caught his breath in surprise as Renji's voice sounded again.

"You're welcome."


	10. Fear

**Chapter 10: Fear**

_****A Note to readers! I have just placed a poll for this story on my profile page, so be sure to vote!****_

**(How do I love the really sweet and enthusiastic readers and reviewers of this story? Oh, let me count the ways...Kyuumihaira (Yeah, in love and completely blind to it! That's so much fun to play out!), Ironrose2018 (Aww, thanks! I'm so glad you like it!), Cynder81 (Yeah, I have to get the end of Petals and Fangs done! That's another great Renji story I've been neglecting. I will see what I can do about re-posting Who I Am Inside and sequel Petals and Fangs this week!), Anelir-Sensei (Yeah, a hint of Byakuya's response is in this one, but he hasn't come face to face with Ichigo yet. Have to figure out a good place/time for that!), Snowflowersister of Toshiro241 (Oh, the romance!), Searchinganoasis (This one certainly has potential to become the next long Bya/Ren series like the Shattered Moon ones, but time forward from that), Renji-Bya-Lover (Tan will take his jabs at the couple, but for now, they are doing enough to keep love at arm's length. Silly boys!), NamineLily (Aww, I think so, too!), Shenigmatic (Renji will have something else on his mind this chapter, but will start having flickerings of memory soon!), Demain Matin (Aww, thanks!), JePi (Byakuya is clearly not seeing the forest for the trees. The silly thing is so busy being respectful and gentlemanly, he underestimates the power of Renjiness to snare him!), Berty05 (Oh yes, Renji is the perfect cure for Byakuya's self destructive bent!), Scarlotte O'Hara (I think Renji will take just so much, then enthusiastically bowl him over and bring the sweet loving!), Ookami no Kurayami (Byakuya defines 'being a lover' as something a little different, due to the odd situation with Hisana's health that kept them from being sexually expressive. So even if not having physical love, one is still a 'lover' by nature of the emotions and other behaviors. Still, Renji won't take much of that before forcing a new definition of love!), Guest (Thanks so much!), Princess Moon Shadow (Thanks a million!), Moegi (Ah yes! Byakuya will certainly be his knight in shining petals! And Renji will help Byakuya in ways he couldn't ever imagine!), Alabirdie (I am also enjoying writing Jun, so he will maintain a presence in the story as a minor character!), Regiane Claudia (I am so glad you are enjoying the story! :) Pleased to meet you!), MissLilly2012 (I am so on that! More is on the way!), Titania (I do try to be careful to place in the description of the story when other people will be involved with one of the main characters, and I haven't made a warning here, so I don't plan for that. I've only written one Bya/Ren where one was knowingly unfaithful to the other, and it was really to challenge myself as a writer to keep within the boundaries of the characters while writing about a heartbreaking situation. But even in that one, they will find their way back to each other after the 'cheating partner' realizes what he is risking with his behavior. In this one, I agree that there is an innocent vibe to these two and they don't need a pervert interfering overtly. So, while Tan will be a presence in the story, he will be more of a nagging pain than a direct threat. And Byakuya will not let him get away with what he's already done. Overstepping as he did in front of the entire council by trying to attack Byakuya and injuring Renji, he's in pretty hot water right now!), Derrbalaam (You bet! I will get those stories updated asap. I have a partial chapter of Blood Rain and I will get moving on When the Moon Howled soon!), and Kintama-Hime (Oh, Tan is in trouble, and Byakuya will make clear his position on what he thinks the man deserves! That should be in coming chapter.). Whew! So many lovely people to thank, but the chapter is long too, so enjoy! :) Love you all! Spunky) **

_Byakuya stood quietly, at the top of the cliff, next to the lovely waterfall near his home, looking down on the sweet, pleasant sight of a very pregnant Renji Abarai, splashing in the shallow water of the lake, alongside several of their children. His warm, hearty laughter mixed serenely with their higher pitched sounds of excitement as they scrambled onto his back and nudged his ribs to make him crawl along in the shallows, until he would suddenly submerge and buck the children off, into the water._

_"More, Daddy Ren! More!" the children pleaded, prompting more laughter._

_At some point, a slender fingertip rose and pointed at Byakuya, the little red-haired girl's musical voice ringing out._

_"Daddy Bya!"_

_Other voices rose up in a chorus of the same, coaxing him to the edge of the cliff, where he prepared to flash step down. He met Renji's smile with his own and started forward, but froze again as a deep, hissing and horrifyingly familiar voice rose up next to him._

_"Byakuya Kuchiki."_

_The very sound of the quincy's voice made his heart pound painfully and he couldn't stop a shiver that roared through him as a golden thorn was suddenly thrust through his stunned body. Below him, the children were screaming and Renji herded them into the brush to hide them._

_"You cannot be here," Byakuya panted, choking on blood that welled up from the deep wound in his heart, "I destroyed you!"_

_"Do you think that it is that simple to escape my power?" As Nodt asked calmly, If so, you are wrong. Fear is instinctive. And once it corrupts the heart, the heart is never able to be fearless again. You know of which I speak."_

_"Wh-what?" Byakuya gasped, "I have nothing to fear from you anymore! You are gone!"_

_"No. You fail to understand. Once I corrupt a soul, it is never able to lose that fear I inflicted...not even if I have been killed. It is like when you were a child and, for the first time, someone you loved died. The loss struck fear into your heart...fear of losing others to death...fear of your own death. This is fear of losing your loved ones violently."_

_"But, that is not in your power any longer," the noble reasoned, "That is my own mind, and those instincts can be overcome. I proved that to you!"_

_"So you say," As Nodt went on, looking down to where Renji had emerged from the bushes, bearing Zabimaru and heading towards them, "But as you grew and your fears became real, others died around you, and your fears grew too!"_

_"Those are normal fears. Everyone has them. All of us, even you. Yes, it is a constant fight to battle our fears, but they can, and will be overcome!" Byakuya said, tearing free of the quincy and drawing his sword._

_In a flash, As Nodt disappeared, but his voice echoed viciously in Byakuya's reeling mind._

_"Can you? Can you overcome this fear? Look at them, Byakuya!"_

_It felt to Byakuya as though all of the breath had been suddenly squeezed out of his lungs, as he looked down on the lake and meadow again, and saw them as they had been in the aftermath of the war. Bodies laid strewn over the expanse, and as he gazed sadly down at them, sadness turned to horror as he recognized the faces._

_"N-no!" he whispered, dropping to his knees, "Kami, no!"_

_"Renji," As Nodt's chilling voice hissed in his ear, "Your children, Rukia, Tetsuya, Ichigo. Shall I go on?"_

_Reason left his mind in a hard, agonized scream of fury and he clawed at the ground like an animal gone mad with pain._

"Byakuya!" cried Renji's distressed voice, wrenching the Kuchiki leader out of his nightmare and leaving him shivering and sweating profusely in the redhead's tight embrace.

Renji seemed to realize that words would be impossible at first, and he went quiet, holding his fiancé tightly, rubbing his back and stroking his hair tenderly. Shaken at feeling tears on his face, Byakuya ducked into Renji's shoulder, breathing slowly until his heart calmed. But he couldn't get that image to leave his mind.

_That is the price of war...this harsh memory of blood and violence, of families being torn apart, friends being lost, lives ending. But it was just a nightmare. We fought and we won peace for our own. And these wounds that the war laid upon our hearts will mend. It will just take time. Just time._

"It was about _him_ again, wasn't it?" Renji queried softly, "You haven't had a nightmare about him in a while."

Byakuya couldn't answer, but just nodded briefly into Renji's shoulder and let sleep overtake him again. He was still sleeping soundly when the door buzzer sounded and Renji touched a button to let the person into the apartment.

"Hey, Jun," he greeted the Mizukiyo healer, as the young man entered the room and sat down next to him.

Renji nudged Byakuya slightly to the side to allow the healer access to his bandages, then watched quietly as Jun fixed his gentle green eyes on the redhead's chest and sent healing reiatsu into the area.

"This is healing well," he commented.

"Yeah," Renji agreed, "Thanks to you. I'm glad you were there."

"I am glad I could help," Jun said, giving him a friendly smile.

Renji turned his head to look down at his deeply sleeping former captain.

"Hey, uh, did you _do_ something to him?" he asked, "He doesn't usually sleep so soundly like this. Usually, the slightest thing will wake him."

"He was up all night, tending to you with me," Jun explained, "I told him he should rest, but he would not be reasoned with."

"That sounds like my ol' captain," Renji chuuckled.

"Yes, he was very concerned. I am glad he was finally able to relax enough to sleep. I was ready to simply induce it, but he worried that he wouldn't wake if you needed him."

"Hmmm," Renji said thoughtfully, "Hey, uh, Jun? Just a little while ago, Byakuya had a nightmare. I mean, it's kind of a flashback. He's had them ever since the quincy war. They were pretty bad, at first. But, after a while, they seemed to go away."

Jun glanced down at the sleeping clan leader for a moment, then met Renji's eyes meaningfully.

"He didn't receive any sort of counseling?" he asked, frowning, "I would have thought that the military would have screened all of the officers for signs of post traumatic stress...especially those like Lord Byakuya, who were badly injured or people whose comrades died."

"Oh, they offered all of us counseling, but Byakuya's a noble, so..."

"So, where they might have worked at him harder to get counseling, they instead trusted that he would see his own clan healers if he needed assistance."

"Right. I was still there with him at the sixth until my promotion. And he seemed to have worked his way through it by the time I became a captain. I made sure Rikichi knew how to handle it if he, you know, had a flashback and freaked out a little. But I worried about him."

"It is troubling," Jun agreed, "But as much as Lord Byakuya might benefit from some counseling, it has to be his own choice to seek it, for it to have the desired effect."

"I know that, but...something occurred to me. Jun, d'you think maybe it's because of me that he had that nightmare? Y'know, because I got hurt?"

"You didn't just 'get hurt,' Lord Abarai. You were injured defending him."

"Like before."

"Yes."

Renji's eyes took on a sad shine and his fingers stroked Byakuya's hair lightly.

"It was a hellish fight. I'd never seen him get hurt so bad. And afterwards, he tried to brush it off. He just said that there wasn't time to think about what happened. We had battles to fight. So, we did what we had to do. But...I started to wonder...after."

Renji met Jun's eyes worriedly.

"Jun, tell me something honestly. Do you think there's any chance that As Nodt, I don't know, _left something_ in Byakuya? It sounds crazy, but..."

"Let me assure you," Jun said, taking the redhead's hand and looking into his eyes, sending a feeling of deep comfort and warmth through Renji, "when you were all taken to the healing springs in the spirit realm, all of the blood and reiatsu that was in your bodies was forced out and replaced. There is no chance that anything of As Nodt's reiatsu remains in Lord Byakuya's body. Physically, he was made even stronger than before, as were you, Rukia and Ichigo. What was left in your former captain is fear. Not fear that was related to As Nodt's power, but fear born of the extremes of what happened, how close he came to dying, how close he came to losing Rukia and you. Things of that nature are a great burden on the heart. They heal, but slowly. And that being said, if he continues to suffer from these nightmares, we shall simply have to reason with him until he will seek help for the problem. It is not insurmountable. And being close to you because you will be married will give you the insight to be of great assistance to him."

"Well," Renji said, shifting uncomfortably, "It's just that, I'm getting the feeling that I might be part of the problem. You know, he worries about me. And if I marry him and he gets me pregnant, he'll have more reason to worry about me, won't he? And we'll have kids he'll worry about too. Wouldn't it be better for him if I didn't make him do this?"

"No," Jun said, shaking his head firmly, "Think of it this way, Lord Abarai. If he avoids the problem, he will lose his motivation to seek an end to it. You and the children that you make with him will be a powerful motivation for Lord Byakuya to make himself emotionally stronger."

"Huh, I never thought of that, but it makes sense. Y'know, Jun, you're pretty darned wise. And friendlier that a lot of the nobles I know."

"Hmmm," the healer chuckled in amusement, "So are you. But, in my case, it is careful family training for healing souls. You see, it isn't enough to heal the body. The mind, too, must be healed...and the heart. True, full recovery always hinges on those three things. And the only way to reach the heart of a person is to communicate well with it. Bearing an open heart will encourage other hearts to open to you."

Renji started to answer, but was interrupted by the door buzzer.

"Should I get that?" Jun asked, starting to rise.

"No, it's fine," Renji said, looking into the monitor, "See, it's Tetsuya. And I have a button here to unlock the door to let him in."

"How handy," the healer commented, smiling at Tetsuya as the blue-eyed noble entered the room, "Greetings, Tetsuya."

"Good afternoon," Tetsuya answered, returning the healer's smile.

He looked down at his sleeping cousin, his smile fading slightly.

"Byakuya asked me to come to speak to him this afternoon, but as he is sleeping..."

"Why don't we go have some tea?" Renji suggested, "We can talk while we wait for him to wake up."

"My apologies," Jun said, bowing his head slightly, "I must return home to attend to some duties. I shall be back tomorrow to check in with you, Lord Abarai."

"Okay, but will you please just call me Renji?" asked the redhead, "I kinda feel like we're friends now, since you sort of just saved my life and all."

"Oh you weren't going to die," Jun assured him, "But you were pretty badly hurt. And I told you, it is my family's mission to be of service to anyone in need."

"Well, I owe you. Thank you."

"You are welcome, Renji," Jun answered, turning away.

Renji watched as the healer left, then carefully squirmed out of Byakuya's arms and stood. Tetsuya slipped an arm around the redhead, then helped him down the hall and into the kitchen, where Renji sat down at the table and Tetsuya made tea for the two of them.

"Are you sure you're all right to be up?" the blue-eyed noble asked, "You still look quite uncomfortable."

"Jun said I should move around a little," Renji said, wiping the sweat from his forehead, "I'm just not supposed to do that much. But I really wanted to talk to you about some things. Congratulations, by the way."

Tetsuya blushed.

"I was almost too afraid to come," Tetsuya confessed, looking out into the quiet hallway, in the direction of the bedroom where Byakuya slept, "I know he was furious with us."

"Naw," Renji chuckled, putting a bracing hand on his chest, "I think he was mostly pissed at Kisuke and Ichigo, not so much you."

"I didn't mean to bring disgrace to our family. I always try to make him proud of me."

"He _is_ proud of you," Renji assured Tetsuya, offering him a tissue as tears rose in his pretty sapphire eyes, "I don't think you disgraced anyone."

"S-sorry," Tetsuya said, shaking his head and drying his eyes, "I cannot seem to help it. I've been very out of sorts since finding out I am with child. It is a wonderful blessing, but I didn't mean for it to come out until after our wedding."

"It didn't come out, really," Renji assured him, accepting a fresh cup of tea from him, "No one actually said that it was you and Ichigo."

"Oh, but people will figure it out."

"So, what if they do?" Renji said, matter-of-factly, "You two are in love and you're getting married. So, you got a little ahead of yourselves. Big deal. You're not being obvious about it. _Kisuke_ might be, but you and Ichigo aren't making it public. So, try not to worry about it. I don't think Byakuya is going to hammer you over this, though he might just take Senbonzakura over to Shiba Manor and have a little _sparring session_ with your future husband."

"Yes," Tetsuya agreed, managing a soft laugh, "I think he might."

"But, it will be okay. Don't worry. You have enough to think about with that little bundle of Shiba-Kuchiki in there!"

"I do," Tetsuya said, looking down at his abdomen, "But, you know, Renji, Ichigo and I wouldn't have this miracle, if not for your clan."

"Right," the redhead said, shaking his head in amusement, "Kisuke did say that, didn't he."

"Yes, and I think you were still unconscious at the time, but the council did assign him to help you and my cousin with the conception of your heirs."

"Heh, just what we need is Kisuke, who always pisses Byakuya off, in charge of getting us pregnant!"

The two laughed at the thought, then Renji took a swallow of tea and met Tetsuya's eyes questioningly.

"Hey, I don't wanna embarrass you or anything, but um, you know, I haven't had sex with a guy before. I was...eh...c-curious. Would it be okay if I asked you a few questions about it?"

"Oh, certainly, Renji," Tetsuya said, nodding, "I wouldn't usually speak of such things, but you are a friend. You may ask whatever you like."

"Ah...okay," Renji said nervously, "Does it...well, does it hurt?"

"Oh, no more than a vaccination."

Renji winced and paled.

"Oh, sorry!" Tetsuya exclaimed, "That was a bad example. And really, it isn't painful if your partner prepares you well."

"P-prepares...how?"

Tetsuya's blush deepened.

"Well, one prepares the other by using some medium, usually saliva or a lubricating solution to dampen the area, then uses his fingers to carefully stretch the tissues. I do not have much feeling in the area, myself, because I was sexually abused in the prison and was somewhat damaged. But you will be more sensitive there and Byakuya will spend some time preparing you before you make love."

"Y-yeah, assuming he knows what to do. You know, he's..."

"I am aware, but you will have an adjustment counselor who will have many important duties, one of which is to see that you and my cousin will be educated about lovemaking."

"A counselor? Who?" Renji asked, frowning.

"I am not sure. But once you have healed, the council will send him or her to meet with you to discuss the details."

"Ah."

"Is there anything else you want to know?" Tetsuya asked, sipping at his tea.

"Yeah, how _big_ is Byakuya?"

The blue-eyed noble choked on his tea and coughed several times, before meeting Renji's eyes and smiling bracingly.

"Hey, it's a fair question," Renji complained, "And you said I could ask you anything! I'm just a little concerned. I've seen him naked, but I've never seen the guy at _full staff_."

"Ah...erm..."

"Have you ever seen him aroused?" Renji asked, making Tetsuya bite at his lips and blush even more furiously.

"W-well, we _were_ teens together, and we were curious, so, yes. I have seen him aroused. And I do not think you need to be worried. Erm...he is big enough to bring _satisfaction_, but not overly large, so as to cause _pain_."

"Well, that's a relief," Renji sighed, "I figured with my luck that he'd be hung like a horse and I'd have trouble walking for a week or two after being fucked by him."

Tetsuya's eye widened and blinked in surprise at the redhead's words, then the two men locked eyes and burst into laughter, Renji pressing a hand against his chest to ease the pain.

"What is this?" Byakuya's dulcet voice said, from the kitchen doorway, "Renji, should you really be laughing like that? And what is so amusing?"

Tetsuya's jaw dropped and he struggled to think of what to say as Renji laughed again, holding his hand to his chest.

"Hmmm," mused the Kuchiki leader, "Perhaps I was wrong in assigning Tetsuya to watch over you while I'm at the captain's meeting."

"There's a meeting?" Renji asked, starting to get up.

Byakuya placed a staying hand on the redhead's shoulder and Renji sat back down.

"_You_ are not going anywhere," the Kuchiki leader said firmly, "You are on medical leave, and I will be responsible for passing on any important information from the meeting."

"Right," Renji said, relaxing in the chair again.

"So," Byakuya went on, "What was so amusing before?"

"Oh, nothing, really," Renji said, dismissively, "We were just trading stories and catching up, you know."

"Well, as good as it is to see you so jovial, you really should return to bed. Would you like me to help?"

"Eh, no, I can do it. I'll give you a yell if I have a problem. It looks like you want to talk to Tetsuya, so...I'll just see you later."

Byakuya waited until the redhead had made his way down the hallway and gone into the bedroom, then he turned his eyes on his cousin, making Tetsuya shift uncomfortably in his chair.

"Cousin, it is good to see you looking so...happy," Byakuya commented, picking up Renji's unfinished tea and taking a sip.

"Oh, thank you," Tetsuya said, bowing his head, "But, Byakuya, I just want to say, I am sorry. I should have..."

" I am not angry with you."

"You...aren't?" Tetsuya queried uncertainly, "But I...?"

"You were discreet, though that miscreant former captain and his fellow Shiba accomplice deserve to be taken out and shot for being so brazen."

"I don't think they meant to be."

"Don't defend them to me, Tetsuya," Byakuya, "Kisuke Urahara has been embarrassing me, either himself or via that damned werecat Shihoin woman ever since I was a child."

"Well, Ichigo hasn't really done anything terribly wrong."

"Except for having sex with my cousin out of wedlock and making a child before marriage with you."

"It was my responsibility as well," Tetsuya pointed out, "If you are going to be angry at Ichigo, then you should also chastise me. I did go along with them."

"Well, you were both discreet, as I said, and you were careful of our honor. Those two, on the other hand...ah, I don't want to think about them. I will just be happy for you. But I would not suggest letting me catch sight of your fiancé until the wedding, or I just might kill him."

"Please don't," Tetsuya pleaded softly, "Ichigo is special to me. I really do love him, and I couldn't be happier than to carry his child, even a bit early."

Byakuya drained the rest of the tea in Renji's cup and scowled.

"That is the only reason that _little brat_ is still alive and breathing."


	11. Listening to the Heart

**Chapter 11: Listening to the Heart**

**(Thanks so much to Yamalover (Byakuya will begin to reveal himself a little more here and will continue to grow in that respect throughout the story.), Kyuumihaira (I love how the chemistry is working too! Sometimes that is a vicious struggle to achieve, but it feels natural here.), Hieizzz (This one is some fun and some heartfelt, but the next will be sure to cause a nosebleed or two!), Anelir-Sensei (I agree both Urahara and Jun are great contenders, so I am leaning towards Jun being counselor and Urahara providing medical/scientific...erm...support. And, of course, some Byakuya ribbing! Byakuya and Ichigo come face to face now, for the first time since he learned what happened with Tetsuya. Yeah, he's not happy about that!), Je-Pi (You know, I've been thinking about that stern older lady and have a trickle of idea of how to bring her into the story! I will play with that after next chapter, but right now, have to focus on what is sure to be an awkward, but adorable first joining!), Sunless Nights (Oh yeah, you will LOVE the next chapter. I am working on that today and may post if I finish before I collapse for the night.), Guest (Thanks for your enthusiastic support!), Searchinganoasis (I will be sure to stay on top of this story! And I am looking forward to writing both their first time together and the counseling that tries to help Renji act more like a noble!...Yeah, right! Haha!), Lovise Polaris (Ah, Hinata as a match for Tetsuya? At first, I laughed, then I...laughed harder at how poor Tetsuya would react if chosen to wed Hinata in a story. And I am still laughing so hard it hurts, as I try to fend off that plot bunny, but slowly feel it taking over!), Alabirdie (Byakuya will reveal something surprising to Renji that relates to his nightmares. Oh, and Ichigo is about to get an earload as he and Byakuya hash things out, while Renji copes with a startling development!), Shenigmatic (Heehee! Well, as you can see, I am likely to find ways to use three of the four in the story somehow and have a plot bunny chasing me that involves Hinata!), Snowflowersister of Toshiro241 (Oh yeah, I could totally see them having to rebuild Renji's apartment building after this! lol), MissLilly2012 (You've got it!), Princess Moon Shadow (Thanks so much!), Renji-Bya-Lover (That first night is closer than you think!), Scarlotte O'Hara (I think Byakuya still respects Ichigo and considers him a friend, but you can get royally pissed at a friend, and if that friend is Ichigo, he might deserve the fury! But don't worry, they'll work it out...just...maybe noisily and, if Ichigo doesn't mind himself, a little violently is always a possibility with those two!), and Titania (I too, have a really hard time with infidelity and 'lovers' who are purposely cruel to each other. And I don't see Byakuya and Renji as capable of those things, considering the strength of their bond as revealed in canon. So, yes, the sweetness and slow fall into love will continue!) Enjoy the chapter!)**

"Ah...um, greetings, Grand Counselor, sir," Renji said anxiously, as he opened the door to the Noble's General Council head.

"Please, just call me Yoshinori when we are not in public," the elder said, accepting the redhead's hand, then looking down as Renji shook it vigorously, then realized what he was doing and stopped himself, blushing.

"C-come on in, sir."

"Arigatou."

"Captain Kuchiki just sent a hell butterfly ahead from the sixth," Renji explained as they passed through the apartment entry and into the large lounging room, "He is about to leave, so he will be here in about ten minutes or so. I made tea. Captain Kuchiki told me that you favor green tea with jasmine?"

"Ah, yes, thank you," Yoshinori said, nodding.

As they entered the lounging room, Kisuke, Ichigo, Tetsuya and Jun stood and greeted him.

"Ah, good, the rest of you are here, so we can begin as soon as Captain Kuchiki arrives."

"Yeah," said Renji, sitting down in a plush, comfortable chair as Yoshinori did the same and the others sat back down, "But Kisuke, you and Ichigo had better keep a low profile. He's cooled down a little, but he's still really pissed."

"He was very agitated when I was by the other day," Tetsuya sighed.

"Well," said Yoshinori, gratefully accepting a cup of tea from Renji, "It is a rather delicate situation."

"Right," Kisuke agreed, "I tried to explain to him that the Shiba clan was concerned about whether or not Tetsuya would be able to conceive. I mean, they are marrying off their future clan head, and the most powerful shinigami ever born into their clan. It's a big deal. So, as much as we were jumping the gun a little..."

"I really wish you would stop putting it that way," Ichigo said, blushing, "The idea is to _avoid_ making Byakuya any more pissed than he already is."

Kisuke chuckled.

"Sorry. Poor choice of words. But, as much as it seems like we were getting ahead of ourselves, it was so that the Shiba clan was assured that there would be heirs."

"And you gentleman certainly haven't been spreading it all around the populace," said Yoshinori, sipping at his tea, "You have been discreet."

"I think it was more the idea of what we were doing that had Byakuya ready to kill me," Ichigo said, shaking his head.

"He was not pleased when it was revealed in front of the whole Noble's General Council," sighed Tetsuya.

"But that is understandable," replied Yoshinori.

The group looked up as the door buzzer sounded and Renji pushed the button to allow Byakuya entrance into the apartment. Renji smiled up at the Kuchiki heir as he entered the room.

"Good to see you, Captain Kuchiki," Renji greeted him, "Your tea's waiting over here. Come, sit next to me."

Byakuya glared at Kisuke and Ichigo, making the latter swallow hard and Tetsuya blush at the intensity of the look he gave them.

"Head Councilor," Byakuya said, acknowledging the elder.

"Good evening, Captain Kuchiki. Thank you for coming. I think we have a lot to get out of the way before things can progress."

"Of course."

"First, we should clarify the history of Torao Akazaki and how it relates to our current situation. Kisuke Urahara, you said that you had gathered a more detailed history for us?"

"Yes," said the shopkeeper, "As I told you, I have notes taken from when I was able to read through several diaries in the royal archive. And the history, according to a combination of sources, goes like this. As I said before, Torao came into the picture when the soul king's son refused to accept any of the brides he was offered and he jokingly said he would rather marry one of the king's red tigers, because they had finer spirits. The king became angry and punished his son by taking a red tiger from the gardens and changing him into a young, red-haired transcendent he named Torao Akazaki. He was made noble by virtue of being born out of the king's garden, but rather then being recognized as one of the greater clans born there, because of the prince's disgrace, while still being above the lower clans, he was not given the status of a greater clansmen. Still, no one really blamed Torao for what happened. He was really just in the wrong place at the wrong time, I guess, and got swept up in things."

"That sounds just like you, Renji," Ichigo chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah, shut up," Renji said, self-consciously, "You're a fine one to talk about that."

"He has a point there," Tetsuya said, smirking, "You do seem to also find trouble, no?"

"Yeah, just a little," Ichigo said ruefully.

Byakuya said nothing, but glowered meaningfully at the Shiba heir.

"Anyway, getting back to the story," Kisuke went on, "When the king was fatally injured and he knew he was dying, he regretted being so harsh with his son and reinstated his place in the monarchy. And as part of that, he granted Torao the ability to have children. The king placed a seal in a special marker on his body and he soul bonded the prince and Torao, so that when the seal was activated, the two experienced a powerful effect, a _lover's frenzy_, if you will, that caused them to mate repeatedly, well beyond the usual ability of the body. These repeated joinings caused a spirit chamber to form within Torao's body, and that chamber was filled with their combined reiatsu, which formed the reiatsu of the developing heir...or heirs, I should say. The king, it seems, made the two very fruitful, resulting in a large number of children. The story was unclear about whether those were in single births or multiples and how many years passed before the betrayal of the prince and his and Torao's flight from the spirit realm. But, what is clear is that the heirs were all male and able to reproduce when bonded with another male...just not females."

"So," said Yoshinori, "This is why the council deemed it necessary to require, as our rules state, that the confirmed heir of the Akazaki clan should be matched with a suitable male for the making of the heirs."

"But the catch to that," Kisuke added, "is that we have to be sure that the two are compatible for the soul bonding. And the only way to do that is to activate the seal on our pal, Renji's fertility and try to bond them."

"But will that not cause our bodies to begin to react?" Byakuya asked.

"Actually, yes, it will," Kisuke said, fighting a self-satisfied smirk.

Byakuya glowered at the scientist and started to say something, but was stopped as Renji blinked and registered comprehension of what was being implied.

"Whoa, hey uh, but if you release the seal on our wedding night and we're soul bonded, but it doesn't take, then..."

"Then we have to go through the process of finding a suitable mate again...and again, until we find one who is compatible."

"That being the case," said Yoshinori, "the council chooses to have the two of you soul bound now, and to allow the wedding to proceed in a month, as planned."

"What? As in _now_ now?" the redhead said, looking alarmed, "You're gonna...?"

"Mr. Urahara and I have been instructed by the council to facilitate your bonding and first mating," said Jun.

"I've been asked to initiate the bonding process by releasing the seal," said Kisuke, ignoring the daggers Byakuya's eyes fired at him at the suggestion, "And Jun will be with you to make sure that nobody gets hurt and nothing goes wrong while you're...erm...making that heir."

"Y-you mean here?" Renji asked, paling so that his tattoos stood out starkly, "Like, right now? But...!"

"Renji is right," Byakuya agreed, "This is impossible. We have not even begun to make our plans for the wedding yet."

"Thing is, there's not going to _be_ a wedding if you're not compatible," Kisuke said, matter-of-factly.

"Oh, ho, ho, look who's gonna be making babies out of wedlock now!" chuckled Ichigo, prompting a frown and a stern look from Tetsuya as Byakuya's scowl deepened and his reiatsu rose until the room shook softly.

"You had better watch your mouth, _boy_!" the Kuchiki leader said ominously, "Or I may forget how we had grown past our differences. Mocking me on top of disgracing my cousin's honor..."

"Hey, our clan came to the same conclusion for me and Tetsuya as the Noble's General Council did for you and Renji."

"And your clan did not follow proper procedure in notifying me of their recommendation and allowing us to..."

"Yeah, the Shiba leader's not exactly one who likes getting caught up in clan haggling," said Kisuke, "So, their council sent Ichigo and Tetsuya to me."

"And not even my own cousin had the courtesy to inform me of what you were doing?" Byakuya asked icily, making Tetsuya deflate and lower his eyes penitently.

"I am sorry, Byakuya. I didn't know how to tell you such a thing."

"I talked him out of it," said Ichigo, "I didn't want him scared that you would take it out on him while he was pregnant and not able to control his emotions so well, or to handle your anger."

"How very kind of you," Byakuya said dryly, "Do you have any concept of how much I would like to kill you right now?"

"I thought we put all of that behind us. I thought we were friends!" objected Ichigo.

"We _are _friends," the Kuchiki head snapped angrily, "which is why it feels like a knife in the back to have you disrespect both my cousin and me in this fashion! I had thought as well, that we had left our differences behind, but as before, you seem determined to step on my pride repeatedly!"

"Hey, hey," Kisuke said soothingly, "We're kinda getting off track, here, and you're kind of freaking Renji out, so maybe we should get back to the matter at hand."

"I am sure that Lord Shiba did not mean to anger you," Jun interjected bracingly, "He was faced with a situation much like the one you and Lord Abarai are in...where our charters almost seem to demand a departure from propriety so that protection of the lines of power may be preserved. He may not have chosen the best way to handle the situation, but he is on the younger side, and he is less experienced in his role as a noble lord than you."

Byakuya inhaled slowly, considering the healer's words, then nodded stiffly.

"Perhaps," he said, still frowning.

"Look, I'm sorry," said Ichigo, "The thing is, I love Tetsuya like I've never loved anybody. I would do anything for him. I would _die_ for him. I would never disrespect him. And I wasn't trying to disrespect you, Byakuya. I do consider you to be a friend, so I hope you'll accept my apology and we can get on with things. Renji does look pretty freaked out."

"Will you guys stop talking about me like I'm not here?" the redhead said, clenching the armrests on his chair with tightened fingers, "This whole thing is making me sick! First, out of the blue, I get a message that I might be some lost heir, and only a few days later, I'm being soul bonded to a guy when I don't know if I'm even gay, I'm planning a wedding I don't want and now we have to just take off our clothes and make babies? Do you guys even understand how _insane_ this is?"

"Renji is right," Byakuya said solemnly, "While I understand the council's concern, they must realize that this pushes the boundaries of tolerance for anyone, especially one of Renji's more primal nature."

"The council in not unsympathetic," Yoshinori assured the Kuchiki leader, "but the councilors feel that their hands are tied, considering both the importance of preserving this previously thought extinct noble clan and the fact that Lord Abarai is a military captain and is often in harm's way. And he was also very recently seriously injured. They truly felt there was no other way but to require the Gotei 13 to place him on leave for the duration of the first pregnancy and to set marriage preparations in order quickly."

"What?" Renji said, a crestfallen look overtaking his paled features, "Now, they're taking away my command post too? Do you _know_ how hard I busted my ass to become a captain? Do you have any idea?"

"You will still be a captain," Yoshinori said, reassuringly, "And your post will be waiting for you. Your squad will be placed on home detail until you are cleared to return after the birth of your first child."

"You know what? This is crazy! You're all out of your heads! I'm not doing this!"

Renji rose out of his chair so fast it tipped over backwards and crashed to the floor as the redhead flash stepped out of the room, down the hallway and slammed the bedroom door. The others in the lounging room exchanged serious glances and Jun met Yoshinori's eyes questioningly.

"Should I try to go and talk to him?"

"No," said Byakuya, standing, "I have known Renji for a long time. I will talk to him."

He walked past the others and disappeared down the hallway.

"Well," Kisuke sighed, "That went better than expected. We gave the bad news and no one got killed."

"And Byakuya knows Renji very well," Tetsuya added, "I am sure that he will convince him to change his mind."

"Well, now," Kisuke said, placing his chin on an opened palm, "I don't know about that. You remember what our young Kuchiki lord was like as a teen, ne Tetsuya? I think his 'understanding' of Renji isn't so much their association as his memory of what he had to go through growing up. This could go either way. Hey, anyone know where Renji keeps his stash of sake?"

XXXXXXXXXX

"May I come in?" Byakuya said, tapping on Renji's bedroom door.

Renji started to answer angrily, then thought the better of it and sighed heavily.

"Yeah, come on in."

Byakuya entered the room and moved to sit down on the bed beside the distressed redhead. He considered his words carefully as Renji watched him with eyes that seemed to vacillate between righteous anger and outright fear.

"You don't have to do this."

Renji's eyes widened.

"What?" he asked, not sure he could have heard the words correctly, "What did you just say to me?"

Byakuya met his eyes meaningfully.

"You still have the option of abdication."

"But I thought that they said that..."

"They want you to feel this is the only path. However, you may also use their own rules to position yourself so that you do not have to do this."

"Huh? How's that?" the redhead asked, relaxing slightly.

"You attacked me, the lord of another noble house, an action which would have demanded a noble review of the situation. And convicted of plotting against me and trying to kill me, you could argue that you accept full responsibility for that. That requires mandatory removal of your household from the noble clans. In this way, you could earn your freedom."

Renji went quiet, turning his head to look out the window. He wondered how things outside could look so tranquil when, inside, everything seemed to be coming apart at the seams.

"Is that what you want me to do?" he asked, more calmly, "I know you don't want to marry me. I know it's made you have those nightmares you've been having. Both Tetsuya and Rikichi said you'd been suffering from them ever since the trial with Tan Ishiki."

"That is not important."

"What do you mean, _it's not important_? You're my former captain and you're my friend. I don't like knowing you're suffering because of me."

"I have been to see Jun Mizukiyo several times since the trial."

"You have?" Renji asked, looking surprised, "You refused to do that before. Why did you...?"

"I was of the impression that if I wanted to be of use to my friend in his time of need, it was best that I do what I could to make myself more capable of doing that."

Renji couldn't hold back a sad smile.

"You did that for me?"

"For both of us," Byakuya corrected him, solemnly, "Now, you must give thought to what you will do. Try to force out their voices and hear the one that speaks to you from inside. That is the one that will guide you correctly."

"But I'm so confused. I mean, I really don't want to do this, but...when I think about the image that Kisuke showed us of Torao Akazaki, it makes me _feel something_ inside. I mean, that guy was just a freaking tiger whose life the king completely disrupted, just to punish his kid. He wasn't asked if he would love the prince, but he must have decided, at some point, that he did. Because he looked happy. He looked proud. And it feels good to be connected to someone like that. As much as I don't want to let that bunch of stuffy old nobles decide things for me, I would feel too selfish forgetting that I'm only as strong as I am because of Torao and the prince. My power was born with them, and I am proud of that power. I feel sick at what I have to do, but...I think I have to do right by them. What do you think?"

Byakuya let out a soft breath and yielded a small smile.

"I think that my formerly brash and reckless vice captain has matured into surprising wisdom. You know your own heart well, and you are able to look past your fears to see the path you think is the correct one, even though it troubles you. I am proud of you Renji."

"Because I talked myself into doing this?" Renji laughed softly.

"Because you talked me out of _not_ doing this," Byakuya answered, making the redhead look up in surprise, "I have long been in the habit of doing whatever our laws dictated, without always considering what my own heart was telling me. This time, I listened, and I felt it was wrong for you to be forced to do this...so I gave you a way to escape. But hearing your words...the pride you take in your powers and your connection to your lineage...it has bolstered my own resolve. And if that is your decision, then I will be content to obey the council's wishes and create your heirs with you tonight. But the decision rests in your hands. Do what you will..."

The Kuchiki heir broke off in surprise as he was unceremoniously yanked into a tight embrace.

"Renji, what are you doing?" he objected, trying to pull away.

"Thank you!" Renji said, hugging him tightly and laughing at his bemused expression, "Thank you so much, Byakuya!"


	12. Roar!

**Chapter 12: Roar!**

**(I am saving shout outs for the next chapter, so I can get this to you and try to get another done quickly. Believe me, you will be thankful! Enjoy the chapter! Love, Spunky)**

"So," said Kisuke, glancing down at the file in his hand, then looking back at Byakuya, who sat on the bed next to a still unnerved and snappish Renji, "Now that you two have decided to go ahead with the soul bonding, it's time for me to give you some more specific details about what to expect. I can give you an idea of what I'll be doing to help you, and Tetsuya and Ichigo are here to answer questions about what happened with them."

Byakuya and Renji exchanged uneasy glances, then nodded.

"The seal will be a marking on your belly that you were born with," Kisuke explained, "Now, neither Ichigo nor Tetsuya were born with that marking, but I was able to use a sample of your blood to stimulate Tetsuya's body to form that seal."

Tetsuya blushed as the shopkeeper gave him a nod, then opened his yukata to display the black marking on his abdomen, just below his navel.

"It's always over the core spirit center, and infusing it with the intended mate's reiatsu causes the souls to bond and the subjects' bodies to react...or not. This is how we will find out if you two are compatible."

"But you said that it will make us go crazy for sex," Renji reminded him anxiously, "You aren't going to stay in here and watch us or anything, right?"

"Of course we won't watch," Kisuke chuckled, "We'll only be here long enough to get you through the bonding. Then, you two can take care of the rest."

"B-but what about the fact that neither of us knows what the hell we're doing? I mean we know where everything goes, but he could still fucking hurt me!"

"That is why I am here," said Jun, "While Kisuke goes through a few things with you and answers your questions, I will speak privately with Byakuya about homosexual intercourse."

"Wait!" Renji objected, "He gets to be talked to in private and I have to have these guys hanging around listening to Kisuke talk about me and Byakuya having sex? How's that fair?"

"You may have questions that we can answer," said Tetsuya, "We have, after all, experienced the 'lover's frenzy' so we can tell you what it was like."

"I don't wanna _know_ what it was like, okay? I already have an idea, and I think it's nuts! Let's just do this and get it over with. all right?"

"But you need to understand," Kisuke interjected quietly, "While what happened with Ichigo and Tetsuya worked all right, and it is indicative of some of the things that will happen, the true 'lover's frenzy' is going to differ somewhat in how it plays out."

"How?" Renji demanded, "Are we going to lose our minds and destroy my new apartment, because I'll kill you if you mess this up! I just got everything the way I wanted it."

"Take it easy," Kisuke chuckled, "Your apartment will be fine. What I meant was that there were some effects you might have that they didn't. But we'll get to that in a minute."

"What?" Renji said, still looking alarmed.

"Jun, why don't you take Byakuya in the other room and chat with him for a bit. I think we need to bring our buddy, here, down out of the rafters or we're not going to get very far before he jumps out a window and makes a run for it."

"I'm not gonna run away," Renji snapped, scowling, "I'm just kinda creeped out by all of this. Captain Kuchiki and I are friends, and I trust him. But what we have to do is just so...so _out there_ that it makes my head spin!"

"But you chose to do this, right?" Kisuke asked calmly, "There were reasons why you did that. You remember those reasons, right?"

"Yeah, "Renji sighed uneasily, "I know I need to do this, it's just that being in the moment, I'm having a hard time trying to wrap my head around it, okay?"

"We understand," said Tetsuya, "And if it eases your mind any, I can tell you with honesty that when you experience the lover's frenzy, all of your worries and concerns will stop tormenting you. You and Byakuya will connect emotionally, and you will be very focused on your _mission_."

"Tetsuya's right," Ichigo agreed, "That connection is what makes everything settle down."

"Right," said Kisuke, "Now, you and Byakuya have gotten pretty close. You worked together at the sixth and you spar and fight together. Those things will work in your favor. When you look at Byakuya, just think about the connection you have. That is what is going to give you the best possible chance to properly bond."

"Okay," Renji said anxiously, closing his eyes and forcibly slowing his breathing, "I can do this. It's just like we're doing training that's a little painful. And he's tried to kill me before and I haven't died, so this won't kill me either, ne? Yeah...I just have to think of it like training."

"Exactly," Kisuke said, nodding, "Captain Kuchiki's trained you in lots of things, so it shouldn't be too much different."

"Huh," Renji huffed, "Except if we were talking flash steps, kido or battle strategy, the guy's a fucking _expert_. But he's as virgin as I am! What if he...?"

"Don't worry about it," Ichigo said bracingly, "That's why he's in there with Jun. It's gonna be fine."

"Ichigo is right," offered Tetsuya, "You said that you trust my cousin. And I promise you, that trust is well placed. Byakuya is very fond of you, Renji. He wouldn't want to cause you pain. I am sure he will be very gentle. Even when the lover's frenzy was at its peak, Ichigo didn't hurt me."

"But you said that you weren't as sensitive...erm..._down there_. What if...?"

Renji went silent and his face paled as the door to the bedroom opened and Renji's, now blushing former captain returned alongside Jun.

"Ah, Captain Kuchiki," Kisuke said, trying not to smirk, "I trust that Jun was able to answer all of your questions?"

Byakuya's reiatsu flickered ominously for a moment and he gave the shopkeeper a decidedly flustered look.

"Yes," he answered in a clipped tone.

"Hey, uh, you okay Captain?" Renji asked, forgetting his own nervousness as he registered Byakuya's higher than usual emotional state.

He could have melted at the way the Kuchiki heir's eyes softened and flickered with regret as they met his.

"I am fine," he assured the redhead in an oddly gentle tone, "I was simply flustered at being forced to speak openly of such _indelicate_ things."

"You can say that again," Renji said, managing a soft chuckle as the realization that Byakuya was also nervous.

Byakuya gazed at him briefly, then looked back at Kisuke.

"Will you excuse us for a moment?" he asked quietly.

"Sure," Kisuke answered, nodding and stepping out of the bedroom, followed by the others.

Byakuya waited until they had gone, then sat down on the bed next to Renji, contemplating him wordlessly.

"What was that all about?" the redhead asked.

"I thought that perhaps we should speak privately before...beginning."

"Okay. What do you wanna talk about?"

Byakuya lowered his eyes and Renji felt a warm twinge inside at his pensive expression.

"Are you decided that this is what you want?" the Kuchiki leader asked, meeting his eyes again, "You are not having second thoughts?"

Renji loosed a long sigh and leaned back against the pillows.

"Sure I'm having second thoughts...and third and fourth. But none of that really matters. It's like I said before, I wouldn't be the person I am if not for them. So, I really feel like I should go through with this. Why? Are you having second thoughts too?"

Byakuya was quiet for a moment.

"I am content to assist you," he said finally, "But I wanted to be sure that you were doing this for your own reasons and not because you felt pressured by the council or Kisuke Urahara. You do not exist to serve that body of councilors or that unmannerly scientist."

"Well, thanks," Renji said gratefully, "But I'm okay with it. I just want to get it over with so that I can get on with things."

"I do as well," Byakuya admitted, nodding, "And if you are of a mind to go after we have concluded our interactions here, I will take you to see the Akazaki family home."

"What?" Renji asked, looking surprised, "There's a family home?"

"Yes," Byakuya confirmed, "It is currently unoccupied and may not be in good condition, considering it has not been used since the time of Torao Akazaki. But it does belong to you. And perhaps, while we are waiting for the children to be born, it will give us a place to exert some of our pent up energy."

"Huh," Renji mused, a slow smile rising on his lips, "You mean, you want to help me fix it up?"

"You should have a place appropriate for housing your revived family. I understand it is a large property, set in the woods, near a lake. The prince and Torao were said to have used the property when traveling to the Seireitei, before their flight from the palace."

"That sounds good," Renji agreed, "Whatever condition it's in, I'm sure it will give us lots to do while I'm..."

"With child," Byakuya finished, lowering his eyes.

"Well, thanks, Captain."

"You should really use my given name, Renji. We are going to be married."

"Sorry...Byakuya. Anyway, I'm grateful. I didn't even know there was a place that anyone connected to me called 'home.' It feels strange, having grown up the way I did...not being really connected to anyplace or a family name. Even now, I'm the last one. So, there isn't anyone to connect to that way...just that picture that Kisuke had of Torao."

"That is what you and I are here to change," Byakuya said softly, slipping a hand into his and making the redhead blink in surprise, "The Kuchiki family is a large clan, so large that it is split into subfamilies and spread out over several properties that are headed by family elders. Within several generations, you should see tremendous growth in your own clan. I think you will pleased with having so much family, although not everything about being in a larger family is pleasant."

"Yeah, the kids will be a handful, I'm sure," Renji mused, "And I don't know how good I'll be at teaching them how to act noble. I guess I'll have to send them over to your place for that kind of training."

He was surprised by the sad expression that took purchase on Byakuya's face before the Kuchiki head swiftly controlled it. He was even more shocked when Byakuya didn't answer, but only sighed and looked down at their joined hands.

"What's wrong?" he asked, frowning, "Do you think I can't handle the fact that you're only doing this because you want to help me and because helping my clan survive is important to you? I know you don't love me, and that I shouldn't expect to stay with you, once we've had the seven kids the council asked for."

Renji sensed suddenly that he had missed something important, but was distracted as Byakuya seemed to recover himself, with a shake of his head.

"Very well. Then, if you feel that you are ready, we will call Kisuke back into the room to begin."

"Heh," Renji chuckled nervously, "I'm sure as hell not ready, and I don't think you are either, are you? But it doesn't matter. We both feel like we need to do this, so let's just get it done. It's like when you were trying to get me to improve my kido and we both always ended up getting singed. Talking about it won't save my clan from extinction. Only we can do that."

"If we prove to be an appropriate match for the bonding," Byakuya added.

"I don't want to even think about what has to happen if we're not," Renji said, shaking his head, "I'm just determined we will be a match."

"Then, I will proceed with equal resolve," Byakuya said approvingly.

He rose and walked to the door, then admitted Kisuke and sat down on the bed again.

"The others are going to wait in the lounging area," the shopkeeper told them, "I have a special barrier in place around the room, and can observe from there."

Seeing the look of alarm in Renji's eyes, he went on hastily.

"Don't worry. I won't look except to make sure that you bond properly. As soon as you begin to react, I will shut down the relay until...erm...after."

"How will you know when we're done?" Renji asked, frowning.

"Believe me, I'll know," Kisuke laughed, "Okay, Renji, lie down flat on your back and open your yukata."

Renji blushed, but then let out a piqued sigh and complied, revealing himself down to just below his navel.

"That's all you need to see, right?" he asked in a tensed voice.

"Right," Kisuke assured him, "Now, just hold still while I release the seal. Byakuya, I will need you to send a small flow of your reiatsu into his core spirit center as soon as I release the seal."

"Very well."

Renji watched breathlessly, his heart in his throat as he felt Kisuke's fingers touch the marking on his belly, then he felt a strange, dizzying sensation pass through him.

"Ah, I feel sorta woozy," he complained.

"Hang in there," said Kisuke, "You're doing great, Renji. Now, Byakuya."

Renji's heart skipped and fluttered, and he felt another strong bout of dizziness pass through him as Byakuya's fingers touched his abdomen lightly, and a gentle swell of his former captain's reiatsu seeped into his shaky body.

"Kisuke, I feel really weird," he said anxiously, "It's like everything's distorted. I can't see right, and I hurt inside. Is that supposed to happen?"

"Just take it easy," Kisuke said reassuringly, "You'll probably feel better in a few minutes after..."

Kisuke froze as Renji's body was suddenly surrounded in a powerful red glow and his reiatsu exploded, shattering the bedroom window and tossing the scientist onto the floor. Byakuya turned towards the redhead, his eyes rounding and coming to his feet as Renji's lanky body shimmered and began to change.

"What in kami's name...?" the Kuchiki heir breathed, backing away, "Kisuke Urahara! What is happening to him?"

"You've got me!" Kisuke panted, bracing himself against the swells of power and trying to edge closer to the redhead.

"Kisuke!" Renji yelled, "I feel really, _really_ weird! What do I do?"

Kisuke swallowed hard, and he and Byakuya kept their distance as the reiatsu burned hotter around the redhead, until he had nearly disappeared into it.

"Kisuke!" he cried.

"I'm thinking! I'm thinking!" shouted the shopkeeper, "Don't panic."

"The fuck with not panicking!" the redhead roared, "Stop it! Something's wrong!"

"We don't know that," Kisuke insisted.

"Did this happen to Tetsuya and Ichigo?"

"N-no, no, it didn't," Kisuke admitted, "But I told you that it might be different because you're the real heir."

"You crazy bastard!" Renji yelled, "What the hell did you do to me?"

He started to rise, but felt a hard jolt through his midsection and dropped onto all fours on the bed. The red light around him blinded the other two men for a moment, leaving them blinking as it died, and they fixed their eyes on what Renji had become.

Byakuya sucked in a surprised breath and backed up a step, stopping as he came into contact with the wall. Kisuke reacted instantly, raising a barrier and shouting for the Kuchiki head to do the same.

Byakuya tried to comply, but Renji's head turned, and his powerful golden brown eyes fixed on the Kuchiki heir, freezing him in place. Byakuya could only stare at the huge, stunningly beautiful creature Renji had morphed into, as he launched off the bed and lunged forward.

Byakuya remained motionless and unable to speak as he took in the sight of the large, muscled feline body, the rich red and black sections of fur, wickedly sharp, white teeth, deadly claws and switching tail, and the big cat responded by closing his jaws around the trapped man's throat.

"Renji," Byakuya mouthed, holding perfectly still.

Within his protective barrier, Kisuke frowned and prepared a syringe. He shattered the barrier and took a step towards the big cat, but was stopped as Renji bit down on Byakuya's vulnerable throat and the reiatsu erupted around the two so forcefully that the shopkeeper was thrown down onto the floor. He scrambled to his feet, hardly daring to look, then stared in surprise as his eyes found the huge red tiger on hind legs and nose to nose with a lovely white tiger, who had appeared where Byakuya had been. Kisuke looked from the two to the half destroyed room they all stood in.

"I think Renji's going to be a little pissed when this is all over," he said wryly.

He edged towards the door and lowered the barrier enough so that he could exit the room, then made a hasty escape, slamming the door shut and sealing the barrier again as two roars sounded and the two tigers slammed into it.

"Okay," the shopkeeper said shakily, "That went all right, ne? Congratulations, boys, you're compatible."


	13. Lover's Frenzy: Cat Slash Fever

**Chapter 13: Lover's Frenzy - Cat Slash Fever**

**(Okay, this was the most unbelievably fun and challenging chapter to write! I am both glad and sad to be done with it, but there is much more good stuff...erm...coming? Thanks so much to everyone reading and reviewing. A special welcome to Watashi no koi. Be watching that name, folks, because that's new writing talent coming to join us here. Can't wait to see what our new friend has to offer. My gratitude to Yaoilifesnecessity (Ah, well, this chapter's even better!), MissLilly2012 (Get ready for some heart-pounding, knee-weakening wild stuff!), Ookami no Kurayami (I think the boys were thrown for a loop too! But the best is yet to come.), PlayMyPoisonousGame (You should have seen me writing that! My family already knows I'm crazy...but it runs in the family, so we're okay! lol), phAnt0mgh0st7018 (I will have to think up a really appropriate punishment for the boys to exact on Kisuke, but that will have to wait until after the fun stuff! Kisuke'd better enjoy it while it lasts.), e2tavi (Heehee! Left you nearly speechless? Better grab onto something!), NamineLily (Oh yes, Renji will have no problem conceiving...moving for a few days after? More questionable!), Cody (I think Kisuke will have worse problems than standing when the boys regain their senses! And if you think they were blushing before? Oh my, will the blushes be fierce in this chapter! And the next too...), JePi (Have I told you how much I adore you for sending me this plot bunny?), Clobojojo (I think the boys are really happy too. They just don't know it yet. So much was going on, on so many levels writing this, I had to reread a hundred times to make sure it was just right. Whew!), Anelir-sensei (Hang on to that seat. This ride's going to be bumpy...in a really good way!), Kyuumihaira (Heehee! Yes...I studied up on tiger interpersonal signals and courting, just for this chapter!), Alabirdie (I put a cute red and white tiger pic as the story cover, so you can imagine.), Airenya (I am so glad you are loving this! :) And yes, Renji's new home is going to be the backdrop for some lovely 'nesting.' Interesting things will happen there!), Ironrose2018 (What's so funny is that when I started the story, I had no idea that the tiger thing would happen. But I loved it so much in Red Samurai, I just couldn't resist offering a new take on that.), Snowflowersister of Toshiro241 (Me too!), Derrbalaam (You've got it! I am going on to the next chapter right now...well as soon as I have properly thanked everyone!), Renji-Bya-Lover (I think that the way things are going, someone's going to crack soon. I want this to be a very romantic story!), Shenigmatic (So glad you like! I thought it was a fun twist.), Scarlotte O'Hara (Oh yes, Bya has a barely concealed crush, but also a healthy amount of fear. Renji is a little obtuse about it, but we'll just see how long he can miss the fact that his pretty former captain 'only has eyes' for him!), Kintama-hime (Oh, Kisuke will definitely remain important in the story. I love his sense of humor, and the way he unsettles things.), Princess Moon Shadow (You've got that right! Kisuke is going to have to run fast to escape those two, when they regain their senses. They will be out for blood!), TomyAllen (Ah, great musings. I am going to be careful not to spoil! But there will be more Kisuke hijinx and lots of Bya/Ren romance. And luckily for you, I can't seem to stop working on this!), Nazrita (The lovemaking is delivered! Finally! Well...some of it. Sorry, couldn't fit it all in one chapter, so it's a looong chapter to be followed quickly with another!), Moegi (That built-over-time friendship is about to really pay off for both of these guys! You will love this!), Bijective and Invertible (I think Renji would have run for the hills without Byakuya's calmer influence. And he's going to benefit from having that as he faces the woes and beauties of childbearing too!), DeAmonQuEen (Ah yes, more about Tan and consequences will happen later, as will Yoruichi's reactions. But first, the long awaited and noisy babymaking!) Sakurayuri89 (Aww, thanks! And I will finish up that next chapter of The Woman in Me. I know lots of readers are waiting for that, so it's at the top of my list with Blood Rain, Nightmare in Red and Whispers!), Hieizzz (Oh, you will love what happens! Just don't want to spoil, so I won't say more!), Searchinganoasis (Okay, adorable, pregnant Renji, protective Bya and cute babies are on the way! Thanks for the dedicated reading. So glad you love the story!), Lochness Nessie (Yup, all of that cuteness is coming very soon! :) Happy reading!), and Titania (I am soooo with you on that!). Enjoy the new chapter, and I will have the next up, lickety split! Love you guys! Spunky)**

"Are they going to be all right?" Tetsuya asked worriedly, his youthful face troubled.

"Oh, I'm sure they'll be fine," Kisuke assured them, "Although, if they mate in this form, Renji's going to be feeling it for a while after, because, I don't know if you guys know, a male tiger's penis is barbed."

"B-but they're both male, aren't they?" Ichigo asked, staring at the viewing screen as the red and white tigers circled each other, snarling and taking intermittent swipes at each other, "How's that gonna work? Or is Renji's tiger female?"

"I don't have a clue," Kisuke confessed, "And I don't know about you, but I'm not gonna go in there and ask him to spread his legs and let me check."

"Do you actually know _anything_ about their mating?" Ichigo asked in dismay, "Poor Renji!"

The four men winced as the red tiger turned suddenly and raked a claw across the white tiger's face, drawing several lines of leaking blood.

"Kisuke!" Tetsuya objected, "Hadn't we better stop them? They are going to kill each other!"

"Oh, no, they won't," the shopkeeper said bracingly, "This is just how tigers mate, that's all. I suspect that they're going to have to mate in both forms to completely infuse Renji's body with the reiatsu for the babies. Remember, guys, it's not just loud, lusty, bloody sex, it's a reiatsu exchange. Somehow the reiatsu has to get into Renji's body in the area of the reiatsu chamber. Their reiatsu will join in the chamber and form the babies' reiatsu. And the babies will _stay_ in reiatsu form until they're delivered, so even though Renji's going to be carrying a litter, he won't round out too much."

"How many babies do you think they'll have?" asked Tetsuya, looking down at his own slim abdomen.

"How many will _we_ have?" Ichigo mused.

"Well," said Kisuke, "Tigers typically produce anywhere from one to seven cubs. And Torao being a tiger with transcendent reiatsu, he had some powerful feline love juice!"

"Seven?" Tetsuya breathed, looking alarmed.

"They could go farther than that, being transcendent. But you and Ichigo will likely be spared having so many, thanks to your mixes of peasant and human blood in there."

"Suddenly, being a half-blood is somewhat of a relief!" said Tetsuya, shaking his head.

Kisuke stifled another chuckle as the red tiger tackled the white and the two descended into a flurry of swats and snarls.

"Damn, I knew I should have invited Yoruichi to this."

"You wouldn't dare!" exclaimed Tetsuya, "Byakuya would kill you!"

"Yeah? Like those two won't kill me anyway. But, at least I'll have time to get a running start. They'll be down for the count when this is all over, because tigers don't just do it in a few little throws like most of us do. For them, it takes place over days, although one exchange only lasts fifteen to thirty seconds. Still, Renji being part transcendent and mating with Byakuya, whose ancestor was also born of the king's garden, they're going to have more like our own stamina. Remember your own experience?"

Tetsuya and Ichigo blushed brightly as Kisuke went on.

"Because Renji is an actual descendant of Torao, he has true tiger reiatsu in his makeup.

"Okay," said Ichigo, "But Byakuya doesn't, so why did he change too?"

"Do you figure he'd be running after a tiger, trying to have sex with it?" Kisuke laughed, "I don't think so. The soul king likely had Torao and the prince share each others' true forms so that they would bond completely and be able to produce offspring. To mate in only their transcendent forms would have denied the root of who Torao was. Instead, the king wanted them to embrace that wildness of spirit that had so entranced his son. This way, they show appreciation for each other, and both are a large part of what their kids become."

"Are you sure they won't hurt each other?" Tetsuya asked, flinching as the two cats exchanged blows that left both bleeding, and then circled each other, snarling, hissing and yowling.

"They will be fine," Kisuke insisted.

"And I will heal any injuries they sustain," Jun added reassuringly.

"As soon as they collapse and lose consciousness," added Kisuke.

"Are you sure we should be watching them?" asked Ichigo, "I think Byakuya's gonna be all over your ass with his bankai if he finds out."

"Why? Are you gonna tell him?" Kisuke asked, smirking, "He'll know you saw it too."

"Erm, we should definitely _not_ observe them mating in shinigami form," insisted Tetsuya, "And we are only going to observe this to make sure no one is injured. I am sure that Byakuya and Renji will understand the need for that, ne?"

"Oh, is that right?" Kisuke giggled, as the red tiger suddenly dropped onto his belly, lifting his backside, suggestively.

"B-but they were fighting a moment ago!" Tetsuya objected.

"Naw, that wasn't fighting," Kisuke snorted, "That was foreplay. But now the frenzy has got poor Renji. He's stopped caring about whether or not it's going to hurt and is way more focused on getting down to business."

The four watching inhaled sharply as the white tiger dropped onto the red tiger's back and clenched the back of the red tiger's neck in his teeth.

"It looks like ol' Byakuya has taken the gloves off too!" Kisuke snickered.

"That looks pretty dangerous," Ichigo said, frowning.

"It is," Kisuke confirmed, "You know, sometimes tigers will be too into it, make a little tactical error and bite down wrong or too hard on the back of the female's neck. It makes for a really short and disappointing courtship, but as usual, Byakuya's technique is spot on."

"Kisuke!" Tetsuya objected.

"Sorry, couldn't help it."

The four men cringed as the white tiger's powerful hips moved and the red loosed a furious yowl.

"Ow, that's gotta hurt," Kisuke muttered, shaking his head, "Jun, I think they're going to need some healing before too long. Maybe we should knock them out when they shift back to shinigami form."

"When will that be?" asked a wide-eyed Tetsuya.

"I don't know," Kisuke answered, shrugging, "It could be days. Anyone need some more tea? Sake? Cold shower?"

XXXXXXXXXX

Behind the feral eyes of the white tiger, Byakuya's mind worked at trying to understand what had happened to Renji and him. It was clear enough that they had changed form. And not wanting to consider what it would mean if there had been a mistake and they couldn't return to being themselves, he first quickly plotted an evil end to Kisuke Urahara's calamitous life, then swiftly turned his mind to contemplating the wicked feeling of arousal taking over his body, then the braced form of the savagely beautiful red tiger that had caused it.

Renji's sharp claws dug into his shoulders and the red cat loosed a painfully loud roar, inches from his face. Byakuya's feline body reacted instantly, snarling viciously and slapping at the other tiger, forcing him back.

But, while it was a relief not having those claws dug into his body, moving away from Renji denied him the heady, attractive scent that had stimulated his arousal. Being his prideful self, he resisted the urge to tackle the other tiger, and settled for stalking him slowly, taking steps forward and testing the air for his scent. Renji's teeth bared and he backed away, making sounds that normally would have annoyed the peace loving shinigami captain, but in this state, riled the feline blood in his veins and made him want to get a whole lot closer. Unfortunately, moving closer to his irascible partner earned him a swift slap in the face, and an odd thrill as the scent of his own blood mixed with that muskier scent Renji's body was emitting, that jumbled his thoughts and left him feeling like abandoning decency completely and having his release, then and there. And as much as his mind struggled to counter the impulse, whispering that Renji was virginal and vulnerable, a few more swats and love bites made him see Renji as less vulnerable and more attractive than he could bear.

Byakuya lunged forward, snarling, then roaring as Renji's body met his, and the two went down in a flurry of clawed slaps and yowls of pre-coital anticipation. And as much as the red tiger still resisted him, he read the lust building in Renji's wild, golden brown eyes and felt the carnal heat of him as they rolled off of the bed and onto the floor, then crashed into walls and furniture, shattering them without care as they chased each other, making sounds and thinking feral thoughts that would have made them blush if they were in shinigami form.

Byakuya blinked in surprise as Renji emitted another scathing roar, then suddenly climbed back onto the bed and dropped down on his belly, raising his hindquarters into the air and offering that part of himself that had piqued the white tiger's interest. And despite his usual, cautious nature, Byakuya found himself pouncing quickly on the other cat and sinking his teeth carefully into the folds of skin on the back of his neck to make sure that he didn't move. Unfortunately for Renji, such closeness to the other cat gave the more primal part of Byakuya's mind command over that part which would have been more merciful as he brought their bodies together and sought relief for the now pounding ache for completion that had taken over his belly and loins. A twinge of sympathy did briefly flicker in his mind at Renji's yowl of pain, then he was content to give his full attention to sating himself.

They were both sounding now, Renji's noises more agitated and angry and his more wanting and hungry. And although his planted teeth kept the other cat from moving, Byakuya felt the tension in Renji's body that warned him not to become too complacent. And just as his pleasure crested, and he gave a hearty, feline moan of ecstasy and started to collapse, His jaws loosened, and Renji threw him down, gifting him with a final, neat row of bleeding lines on his cheek, then collapsing, himself, alongside his dazed partner.

Byakuya felt like offering his mate a show of gratitude and affection, but reduced to feline communication, expressed the emotion by lifting himself slightly and licking the red tiger's bleeding ear, chuffing lightly at the warning snarl his handsome partner responded with.

As much as he imagined that Renji might not be of a mind to forgive him for his rather barbaric behavior, he was stymied and pleased when the warm, furry red body pressed closer to his and the two began to relax into sleep alongside each other.

Byakuya woke, a shockingly short time later, to find Renji's warm scent filling his nostrils again, and his arousal returning in full force. He reacted in a more primal fashion, his senses still dulled from sleep, and tried to mount his partner immediately, then quickly regretted the decision as the red tiger roared furiously and took him into a hard tumble, beginning their pre-coital play again.

The two sank more deeply into their feral identities this time, responding more readily to the call of nature and yielding easily to repeated rounds of fighting, mating, eating the oddly satisfying offerings of raw meat and cool water and sleeping, stretched out alongside one another. They lost track of how many times the darkness came and went, only focusing on sating that driving need for coupling, until finally the heady scents powering their lust seemed to recede, and the two dropped off into a deep sleep, not even waking as their bodies shimmered and returned to shinigami form.

Kisuke acted swiftly upon seeing them reclaim their normal forms, infusing each with a powerful reiatsu to keep them in a deep sleep and setting Jun at healing their physical hurts, while the others righted fallen objects and cleaned up the room the best they could. As Kisuke sensed that they were beginning to rise out of sleep, he set out tea and food that Tetsuya had made for the two, and ordered everyone out of the room. The others adjourned to guest rooms to recover from lack of sleep, while Kisuke remained to monitor the time between their waking and the onset of the next phase of the lover's frenzy.

"Five days," Kisuke sighed sleepily, "I think you guys may have set a new record..."

XXXXXXXXXX

Renji felt cool fingers threading lightly through his hair, and a warm palm, rubbing his back comfortingly. He was so tired that he would gladly have sunk right back into sleep, but it occurred to him suddenly that he felt normal again...normal except for a shocking flash of pains through his body when he moved, bolting away from Byakuya and retreating to the far edge of the bed, where he sat up and looked down at his body, which someone had healed recently and dressed in a clean yukata.

"Are you all right?" Byakuya asked quietly.

"Huh!" Renji huffed, "Fuck no, I'm not all right," he growled, holding the front of his yukata and not wanting to meet the other man's eyes.

He wasn't sure if it was because he was embarrassed or because he was worried that they would look smoky and lusty, the way they had when...

"That was dis..."

He stopped himself forcibly at seeing the guilt that rose instantly in his former captain's gray eyes.

"It was weird," he mumbled, belatedly correcting himself and keeping his eyes lowered, "We should kill that bastard, Kisuke."

"I don't think he knew that it would be like that," Byakuya commented calmly, "But I understand how you feel."

"I'm just glad it's over," the redhead said, sliding out of bed and heading for the shower before Byakuya could suggest that, perhaps there was more.

The raven-haired captain watched as Renji walked into the bathroom, then listened as the water was turned on, his mind replaying what had happened and a blush taking over his pale flesh all over.

_He was going to say that he was disgusted. And who wouldn't be, with the way I acted. I had thought to be gentle with him, but neither one of us had any control. Maybe because that cat form was more feral and based on instinct. Indeed, as the mating progressed, I became lost in that role, forgetting Renji's feelings entirely and focusing only on that scent and how it made my body feel. On the one hand, it was tremendously fulfilling to join with him that way, but on the other, I know it hurt him inside. Renji is fierce outwardly, but he has a vulnerable heart. And to think that I hurt him..._

He sensed a disruption in the redhead's reiatsu and started to get up, then reeled at the aches and pains that struck all over at once. But he forced himself forward, moving to the bathroom and trying the door.

He was surprised to find it unlocked.

Byakuya opened the door and entered, closing the door behind him and pausing for a moment, to consider what to do. As he stood, considering and listening to the water falling, he heard a soft sniff and a low, guttural sob. He ceased worrying about how to approach the other man and opened the shower door to find his former vice captain curled in the back corner of the shower, his face in his hands and seemingly not aware of his presence.

Byakuya swallowed hard, then tightened his lips and took a steadying breath. He slipped out of his yukata and stepped into the shower, closing the door behind him and then kneeling in front of his miserable friend.

Renji still wouldn't look him in the eyes, but he didn't resist as Byakuya nudged him into a comforting embrace.

"I am sorry," the Kuchiki heir whispered in the redhead's flushed ear, "It must have been horrid seeing me act in such a way with you. It was not my wish to be that rough with you. I apologize."

"Heh," Renji half chuckled, half sobbed, "Like you could help it. That's how tigers act when they're mating, ne?"

"But we are shingamis, not animals," Byakuya said, brushing the fallen strands of rich red hair away from his face and meeting his eyes.

He felt a sharp, painful twinge inside as Renji's eyes went wide for a moment, then registered that his looked normal again, and calmed.

"Well, the truth is, I have animal in me. That's why we had to do this weird shit, right?"

"Ah...?"

"Don't worry about scaring me," Renji interrupted, "I figured out that we'll probably lose our minds again and start doing it in shinigami form too."

Byakuya's eyes narrowed and he shook his head firmly.

"It isn't going to be like that," he said quietly, bringing his face closer to the redhead's and brushing his cheek lightly against Renji's.

"What are you talking about," the redhead said, slumping against him and rubbing his eyes, "You know what happened before."

"Yes," Byakuya replied, surprising his lips with a gentle kiss, "but we are not animals now. Whatever emotions overtake us, we are more civilized, just...more greatly impassioned. Do not worry. I will not hurt you."

"Huh," Renji huffed, turning his head away, "Are you sure you're not already going crazy? Let me see your eyes."

Byakuya looked up at him and Renji felt a surprisingly pleasant jolt at the regret and genuine affection he found there.

"That doesn't look like out of control passion," the redhead said, looking relieved.

"No," Byakuya agreed, "And while we have control of our senses, I will ensure that your first experience with love as a shinigami, in any case, is a calmer, more controlled exchange."

Renji couldn't hold back a small, trembling smile.

"Are you just going to do that in case you can't help getting rough with me later?" he mused.

"Don't think about that," Byakuya instructed him, his tone causing Renji to see him again in the role of a mentor, "Think only about the bond that opened up between us when the seal on your body was released. Keep that connection open and let it comfort you, no matter what happens or doesn't happen. And if you feel lonely, thinking about what will happen when you leave me, then remember that our connection will not fade, just because you've gone. We will be together in the children you will have. And we will see each other often, even after you go."

Renji's smile widened and he nuzzled closer to Byakuya.

"That's sweet of you to say, Byakuya," he said, brushing away another unbidden tear, "but I'm really okay. I just needed a minute to get myself back in control after that...what we did before."

"But it was not entirely a selfless act," Byakuya confessed, "I was only half talking to you."

Renji frowned in confusion as he considered the other man's words. Then, his eyes widened and he started to speak, but found himself shocked as Byakuya's mouth captured his in a deliciously passionate, open-mouthed exchange. He worried for a moment that the Kuchiki heir might be responding to the lover's frenzy, but Byakuya's eyes remained calm and focused, reflecting only that deep, powerful connection that now bound them.

_That's right, _Renji mused, _He never says that he is going to leave me. He always say 'when I leave him.' Does that mean that he...? Does Byakuya have real feelings for me?_

_Really?_

He lost both his breath and his ability to think clearly as Byakuya's mouth released his, leaving him panting for more, while Byakuya's tongue slid along the length of his throat and softer kisses traced the line he had made with his tongue. He tried again to speak, but Byakuya's mouth stopped his again, and while they kissed, the Kuchiki heir's hands traveled over his wet body, coaxing him to his feet, then lazily bathing him and infusing his aching body with soothing reiatsu.

And, for some reason that he couldn't even fathom, Renji was stricken with a memory of how, in the aftermath of each frenzied coupling, the white tiger had spent long minutes licking the red tiger's wounds, healing them, then curling close to him to sleep.

_He's trying really hard not to freak me out. Even in cat form and with our senses mostly gone, he still took care of me._

_But is that just 'caring for me?'_

_Or is Byakuya falling in love with me?_

_That would be a good thing, right? Maybe no one would have to leave anyone. I mean, if he's feeling lonely too, thinking about when we separate, then why are we thinking of separating? Why not...?_

He tried to continue that line of thinking, but found it harder and harder as Byakuya's kisses grew more passionate, and the touches on his body gave him stronger jolts of pleasure. He realized suddenly that Byakuya was working his way downward, laying soft kisses along his breast and down to his quivering belly, where he paused to look through damp, raven strands, into Renji's eyes, then offered a gentler, more paternal kiss to the area that could have melted the redhead.

Renji's shaky legs went even weaker as Byakuya's smoldering eyes grew more amorous again, and he moved so that he rested on his knees, at Renji's feet. Shock flooded his body from end to end, first with the realization of what Byakuya was offering him, then at the very fact that he wasn't moving, but was looking up at Renji's face, as though asking permission to proceed.

"I remember when you said that I couldn't get you down on one knee," he said, smirking helplessly.

"And now, you have me on both," Byakuya finished, "What happens next is up to you, Renji. This is an offer, not a requirement."

Renji looked down at his rapidly responding member and chuckled nervously.

"That looks like a 'yes' to me," he laughed.

He read the familiar flicker of disapproval in Byakuya's expression and took on a more serious expression, himself.

"Go ahead," he said, nodding, "I want you to."

"Tell me what you want me to do."

A blush roared across Renji's face and he wasn't sure he could say the words.

"I...I want you to...touch me. Down there."

Byakuya's hands curved around his tattooed bottom, pulling him in closer. His tongue traveled slowly along a trembling inner thigh, then he sucked warmly at the sensitive skin, where leg met hip, and Renji couldn't help but sink his fingers into the wet, raven hair and groan hungrily. He closed his eyes and leaned back against the shower wall, moaning heatedly as sweet, wet heat surrounded his aching erection, and the other man's movements quickly derailed his thinking and sent him tumbling into a state of heightened arousal. He felt Byakuya's hands move, and his fingers began to prepare the redhead. But Renji didn't feel any remaining worry over what was going to happen. He _wanted _it to happen.

_It's like he took things out of the realm of us being out of control, and now we're choosing what we're doing, right now. It's wonderful...so sexy to see him look at me like that...like I'm the most beautiful thing he's ever seen. To have him ask me to say the words...to tell him what I want._

_Oh kami, I think I really am falling in love with this guy._

_And wouldn't it be crazy and ridiculous if he was falling in love with me too?_

He heard the water stop and felt his body being dried off, but just remained with his eyes closed and leaning against Byakuya as he worked from top to bottom, drying and massaging gently, relaxing the redhead so much that he barely felt when he was lifted and carried back to bed.

Byakuya laid him down and slid onto the bed, beside him, then remained sitting quietly and waiting. His dark eyes widened, then registered amusement as Renji rolled over, onto his belly and lifted his hips suggestively.

"Renji," he said uncertainly, "Are you...sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure," the redhead chuckled, "I might have been kinda freaked out by everything, but I liked how it felt when...when you were..."

"I understand," Byakuya said, blushing, "Very well, then."

He started to lie down on Renji's back, but caught his breath in surprise as the redhead turned and tackled him. He stared with flustered eyes as Renji's body trapped his and the redhead's mouth invaded his.

"_Baka!_" Byakuya scolded him, "I thought you were going to turn back into a tiger and tear my throat out this time."

"No way," Renji said, grinning as he regained more of his usual confidence, "I was just letting you know I wasn't going to be so easy for you this time."

"You call that 'easy?'" Byakuya mused, "We drew each other's blood. And do you really want to kiss me now. I was just recently..."

"I know," Renji purred, nuzzling under his chin, "but for some reason, it really turns me on to taste the two of us together like that."

Byakuya couldn't remember anything ever making him flush so furiously.

"Abarai...!"

His words were lost as Renji's mouth took possession of his again, and the two rolled over and back, tongues and bodies engaged in a pleasant struggle, all too reminiscent of their sparring. And although he could have fought harder to gain the upper hand, there was something far too enticing about feeling Byakuya's strength, and the heavy throb of his reiatsu as the sexual tension between the two rose and overflowed.

Byakuya's body bore his down onto the bed, pressing warmly against him as they kissed and let their hands explore freely. Renji couldn't decide which was better...lying on his back with his legs wrapped tightly around the slighter man and clenching his shoulders, or being belly down and feeling the raven-haired man's weight against his back. In the end, he chose the deeper pleasure of looking up into the Kuchiki heir's unusually amorous expression, as Byakuya's hand parted his thighs, and he moved into position for their first joining in shinigami form.

"Hey, uh," Renji said suddenly, startling the other man and making Byakuya gaze down at him questioningly, "That thing's not barbed now, right?"

"N-no," Byakuya managed, barely stifling a piqued smile, "That was only in cat form, and was necessary to trigger your body's response to open the reiatsu chamber."

"I know," Renji laughed, "I was kidding."

"Ah..."

_Oh my kami! He's nervous too. That's just...too fucking cute!_

Byakuya's eyes grew serious again, fastening on his and holding them warmly as he entered the redhead slowly, biting at his lips and breathing harder as his arousal swelled up against his will not to hurt or unsettle his partner. Renji groaned impatiently, despite knowing the need for being careful. But gradually, the two joined and became one.

Byakuya paused, resting on top of the redhead, and already panting softly against Renji's shoulder as he carefully held back the intense urge to move. He waited as the redhead adjusted to being filled, then looked up at him and gave him a brief nod of acquiescence.

And as much as their joinings as wild cats had been dangerous and painful, their meeting as shinigamis was dangerously beautiful and passionate. That strength he had always loved in Byakuya played out in heavy, grinding thrusts, clenching hands, unbidden gasps and flares of intense, errant reiatsu that flickered and burned around their writhing bodies. Renji forgot for a moment what they had come to that place to do. Wrapped up in the sensual beauty of being with the man he loved the most that way took over everything and filled his reeling form with a wonderful, all-over tingling. The pleasure inside him mounted, and he felt Byakuya's body shudder warningly as he approached climax. The dark, beautiful eyes met his once more, and the always serious lips smiled. Renji forgot all about what the man was doing to his body, and undone by that beautiful, unexpected smile, he loosed a hard, finishing scream and disappeared into the fiery throbs of release. Holding tightly to that powerful, lovely body atop his, he let the feeling explode through his body as Byakuya's relentless heat filled him.

They fell into a rush of breathless kisses as their bodies hummed with life and warm satedness. Byakuya collapsed on top of him, still joined with him and looking as contented as Renji felt.

"I love you."

Renji wasn't sure how the words had escaped him, and blushed instantly, staring at the strong reaction in Byakuya's widened eyes.

"Renji?" the Kuchiki heir whispered uncertainly.

"It's okay that you don't feel that way about me," the redhead went on, feeling strangely emboldened by the fact that they were so open and vulnerable to each other while still engaged as they were, "I just wanted you to know."

He felt a soft shiver pass through Byakuya's tensed body and the dark eyes registered sudden, unexpected fear. He seemed to realize that Renji had seen, and he ducked his head into the redhead's shoulder. He didn't know what to say, so he nuzzled the sensitive of Renji's throat and remained silent.

_What was that?_

_Why did he react that way?_

_That wasn't a rejection. It felt different than that. It's like he wanted to say it back, but..._

He wanted to think more about it, but weariness was taking over, and he knew he needed to sleep. Content to deal with rest later, he curled into Byakuya's arms and threaded his fingers into the man's silken black hair, still enjoying the feeling of that unrelenting heat inside that flared and circled as he drifted off into sleep.

Byakuya's head lifted as he felt Renji's body go limp. He gazed for a long time at the red haired man's happy, peaceful expression and he wanted to say the words back, but couldn't make them rise on his lips. Sighing unhappily and feeling even more guilty, he pressed closer to Renji and surrendered to an uneasy slumber.


	14. Lover's Frenzy: Too Close to Heaven

**Chapter 14: Lover's Frenzy: Too Close to Heaven**

Byakuya rested quietly on the bed in Renji's bedroom, holding the sleeping redhead in his arms, and unable to stop the words that repeated in his head.

_"I love you."_

No one but his grandfather, his parents and Hisana had ever said those words to him before. And all of those others had said it, then left him. He knew they hadn't intended to leave. But Renji knew that he was going to leave, and yet he had still said those words...the words that made Byakuya's heart beat faster, and made him ache inside with painful longing. On the one hand, he could lie there, listening to Renji's voice saying those same words forever. But on the other, each time they rang through his mind, he could only think of Renji leaving him.

_It is stupid for me to be reacting this way,_ he told himself, sifting his fingers through the long, wild strands of the redhead's hair and nuzzling his cheek, _Renji never promised to stay with me. He made no pretenses about that. He only pleaded with me to help him. And so I've done. It isn't right for me to expect more. He never promised me more than this. So, I will treasure this while it lasts. This is what Hisana and I could not have while we were together...the comfort that was not there for me when she left._

_When Renji leaves me, one of our children will come to Kuchiki Manor to live with me and become my heir._

_I wonder what our children will look like?_

_What must it be like to look at one's child and see the binding of two hearts made one in flesh?_

_Whose eyes will they have? And whose hair color? Will their features be smooth and will they be fine boned, or will they have his rough hands and larger bones? Kami, the possibilities are endless! And to think that the beginning of that dream is already growing inside him! _

He hadn't forgotten that other element necessary for the conception to be completed. Indeed, he felt the deep stirrings of primal arousal, and the rising hunger of the oncoming lover's frenzy. But even so, he didn't just want to make love to Renji.

_I want so much to make children with him. There is so much fire in him, so much passion, so much kindness and loyalty. There are so many things that I admire about this person._

_No...there are so many things that I love about him._

_And although Renji may not love me, he did choose me to father his children. There is some measure of comfort in that. He trusts me to treat him with respect. We are, above all, friends and comrades in arms. This task is another important mission for us. That is all it is._

"Byakuya, why are you looking at me like that?"

He hadn't noticed when the redhead's eyes had opened.

"You look...kinda sad."

"I am fine."

"You always say that," Renji said, sitting up and looking into Byakuya's strangely emotive eyes, "But it's obvious something's wrong."

Byakuya turned his head aside, frowning.

"It is likely just the onset of the lover's..."

"I don't think so," Renji insisted, laying a hand on his shoulder and making his head turn back.

Byakuya was stunned as Renji's lips took his suddenly by surprise, and the redhead pushed him down onto his back on the bed.

"What are you doing, fool!" Byakuya hissed, "We are only doing this to...!"

"Shh," Renji said, stopping his words with a powerful kiss, "I just want to make you feel good, okay?"

"But that is not part of...!"

"I don't care about that, okay?" Renji told him, earning an uncertain stare from his former captain, "The babies are gonna get made. The frenzy will take care of that, but there's something that you need, first."

"How would you know what I need, baka?" Byakuya managed breathlessly as Renji's hot, red mouth attacked his throat hungrily.

Renji paused and gave him a sly look.

"I know _everything_ about you."

The words sent a shiver down his spine and he relaxed against the pillow, watching and breathing more deeply, his expression becoming more hungry and desirous as he watched the redhead meander down the length of his throat, then nibble teasingly along his collarbone.

"R-renji!" he panted, breaking out in a sweat as Renji's head bowed, and he tasted an erect, pink nipple.

His fingers couldn't help but to sink into the redhead's tumbled hair, tightening as the movements of Renji's warm lips and curled tongue sent small, electric jolts through his already aching loins. His heart raced in his chest, making those hungry, red lips smile as they wrapped around his trapped nipple and tormented it slowly, while the fierce brown eyes watched him closely. He lingered over one hardened nipple for a time, then let it slide out of his mouth, where it cooled rapidly, earning an escaped moan of pleasure from the usually stoic man's parted lips.

"You like that, huh?" Renji's deep, sexy voice asked, as he moved to attack Byakuya's other piqued nipple, while still teasing the first with his rough fingers.

"Ah! Abarai, you don't have to...do that. I am erect already. We can just proceed to..."

"What's your hurry?" Renji growled, his eyes narrowing, "Don't you like what I'm doing to you?"

"That is not the point. We shouldn't get distracted, Renji. Y-you only asked me to..."

"Forget about that," the redhead said, teasing the Kuchiki heir's soft belly with is lips and light touches of his tongue and making the skin quiver.

Small, sweet jolts continued to tickle Byakuya's insides as he took in the beautiful, passionate expression on the redhead's blushing face as he explored Byakuya's body, savoring the pale skin slowly.

"We should focus on our task, and not get distracted with...s-such things."

Renji chuckled as his hand brushed suddenly against Byakuya's inflamed arousal, making the Kuchiki heir's words end in a decidedly lusty moan.

"What do you mean, _distracted_?" Renji asked, sinking his tongue into the other man's navel and sucking, his fingers still teasing Byakuya's flushed nipples, until the erotic combination of sensations made his hips rise off the bed and another, louder moan escape him, "It's getting you relaxed and making you hard for our lovemaking, right?"

_But it makes my heart ache, seeing you like this, Renji._

He tried to think of an answer he could give, but had his thoughts suddenly derailed as Renji's mouth kissed its way downward and began a slow exploration of his flushed privates. Byakuya's eyes widened and he panted helplessly, watching the tattoos on Renji's crouched body move with him and feeling the heat flare dangerously in his loins as the redhead's lips, fingers and tongue continued their loving assault.

Byakuya felt his considerable barriers tremble and begin to crash down as Renji's mouth pleasured him in ways that no one ever had.

_Hisana never offered me this, and I never would have asked it. But this is...this...is...!_

"Renji!" he gasped, closing his eyes.

He reeled as Renji's hand tightened where it held him, holding and suspending him at the very edges of bliss.

"L-let go!"

Renji's laugh rumbled against his soft, inner thigh, igniting fresh waves of erotic hunger so powerful that he couldn't help but start to lunge upward. As he moved, Renji's hand released him, and a shock of beautiful waves of pleasure gripped him from end to end. He loosed a ragged cry of completion, watching that red, devouring mouth smile as it undid him. It was scandalous, he thought to have that same mouth return to his, but the lovely mix of their flavors was so warm and savory that he couldn't object anymore. He upended the chuckling redhead and attacked his mouth voraciously, feeding on that heady, sensual mix of their mingled tastes and forgetting his objections entirely.

His eyes opened again and found Renji's gazing intently at him.

_It has to be the lover's frenzy that is making him like this. He was so reluctant before. But I don't feel that in him at all now._

Renji's stunning expression of love returned to him and rang in his ears, making him have to bite at his lips to keep him from returning the same. It wasn't right, he thought, to say such things just because their passions had been ignited by their bonding and mating. If it was really love, then it should be spoken when things were calm again and when they were in their right minds.

So, without letting the words spill from his lips, he put all of the emotion into hard, treasuring kisses and possessive touches and caresses that made Renji's fierce eyes glaze over and his body relax beneath Byakuya's. And while he was so receptive and open, the Kuchiki heir answered his passionate offerings with like intensity, exciting Renji's body with a deep, penetrating exploration of every marking on his tall, tanned body. And as relaxed as he was at the outset, as Byakuya's manipulations continued, he grew restless again. And Byakuya could see that he was painfully aroused and wanting.

He couldn't have used words to offer the redhead relief, so he just slid languidly down Renji's sweaty and softly trembling form, breathing in his deliciously powerful, masculine scent and honing in on his damp, needy privates. And as much as it left the redhead blushing, he spread his legs readily, welcoming the return of the pleasure he had offered the Kuchiki heir. Byakuya held nothing back, but tightened his hands on Renji's shaking inner thighs and poured all of his affection into every kiss and touch and caress with which he tormented the area, making Renji moan loudly and thrash beneath him. And the sight of the redhead being overtaken in such a way, coupled with the knowledge that it was his own body that was giving Renji that pleasure finally undid him. He crawled back up the long, tanned torso, scorching the tanned, tattooed skin with hot kisses, then laying down on top of the other man and invading his mouth and his body, perhaps a bit more eagerly than he meant to. Renji welcomed him with a growl of approval, moving with him as his hips thrust forcefully, grinding against the redhead and quickly leaving both men breathless. The two powerful forces clashed repeatedly, making the air crack around them with flares of errant reiatsu, and heated moans and gasps, until they finally stiffened and surrendered together to blinding waves of pleasure that broke over them. Byakuya collapsed onto Renji's heaving body, his heart still racing wildly, and his body still humming with pleasure. He closed his eyes, panting against Renji's shoulder and terrified that he would hear the redhead say those words again.

_I cannot resist those words in the state I am in. And to let them overtake my heart...it would break when he left me. No, I cannot hear those words when my heart is so open to him!_

As though he had read the Kuchiki heir's thoughts, Renji remained silent, but for the sound of his panting breaths. His fingers threaded through Byakuya's sweat dampened hair and caressed his face affectionately, but he said nothing. Yet, even saying nothing, the emotion in those warm, rough hands spoke more loudly than words, and Byakuya quivered inwardly as Renji's earlier declaration returned to his mind with stunning force. It repeated inside his head until he could hear little else. And he finally abandoned the bed with a hasty apology and fled to the shower, where he drowned the words out with the sound of rushing water and splashes of wet heat on his face and body.

_I shouldn't have agreed to do this, _he thought, closing his eyes against the powerful stirrings of emotion, _I did want to protect him from that beastly Shihoin, but this begins to weigh so heavily on..._

His thoughts were sweetly derailed as a warm body pressed up against his back and strong arms wrapped around him. That rough skinned, wonderful mouth nibbled along his throat, making the swell of emotions inside him ease. He relaxed against Renji and breathed in the warm vapors, hypnotized by the other man's touch and surprisingly helpless being held like that. Renji's hands slid over the curves of his torso, with touches meant to soothe. And to some extent, they did. They certainly eased the weight he had been feeling. But as the weight of emotion left him, the fervor of the lover's frenzy began to overtake him again.

He turned suddenly and pushed the redhead back against the shower wall, falling on his mouth with hard, penetrating kisses, as he sought Renji's already moist entrance and brought their bodies together forcefully. His mind went hazy then, and he disappeared into the open connection they now shared. And where Renji's body had been more reluctant before, the redhead's body welcomed his readily, and moved with him, undulating erotically against him and driving him quickly to the edges of release. Pearly nails dug into Renji's tanned skin as Byakuya climaxed, and the redhead held him tightly and continued to grind against him until his own body shuddered and pulsed in release. They stood, panting and exchanging gentler kisses as the water washed away the dribbles of their essences, and weariness overtook them so quickly that they barely managed to dry off and drag themselves back to the bed.

They fell into a deep, restorative sleep, curled warmly around each other and so content that even Byakuya, whose mind was almost constantly questioning, quieted and simply accepted. They woke a surprisingly short time later, their strength and their passions renewed, and joined without hesitation, feeding the burning lust inside them before collapsing and sleeping again. The days disappeared into a haze of repeated joinings, and with time, Byakuya stopped worrying about which meeting would be their last, and just embraced the power and pleasure of Renji's body as it was offered to him. He was well aware of the ache of loneliness that would be returning all too soon. But trapped and held by Renji, he couldn't think about that...only about diving in deeper, holding on tighter and loving the man with every ounce of himself.

But finally, the lust began to seep out of their weary bodies, and the two began to feel exhaustion stealing over them.

"Byakuya?" Renji said suddenly, surprising him with the first intelligible words they had exchanged in nearly two days.

"Hmmm?" he mumbled without opening his eyes.

"Thank you for doing this."

His eyes opened and met Renji's calmly.

"You are welcome."

"Can I ask you something?"

For some reason, the words sent a shiver of foreboding through him.

"What is it, Renji?"

The redhead turned and laid his head on Byakuya's pale breast, smiling at the warm, steady beat, just beneath the surface.

"Will you let me take you?" Renji asked, making his breaths stop suddenly, "I know that it's supposed to just be about reviving my clan, but I think we both know that more's been going on than that."

Byakuya didn't answer immediately, but sat up, causing Renji to settle on his knees at the Kuchiki heir's side. He considered the words, his heart fluttering with painful intensity.

"You want to enter me?" he asked finally, "Why?"

"Well, it felt really good when you were inside me," Renji explained, "I didn't know it would be that good. I was scared it would hurt, but it didn't really. And all those times you were inside me, I kept thinking about how it would be to do that to you."

"And you desire that?"

"Yeah."

"But...you know that we are going to separate," Byakuya objected, "And I only entered you because it was a requirement of what you asked of me."

"Well, now I'm asking you if you will let me make love to you. Will you, Byakuya?"

_If I give in to him now, I won't be able to watch him walk away from me._

_I can't._

_But it seems to mean something to him that I do this._

His head bowed and he prepared to give Renji his answer, but was spared doing so as the last dregs of the lover's frenzy left them and they collapsed onto the bed and lost consciousness.

"Whew!" said Kisuke, shaking his head, "Well done, boys."

He chuckled softly as he stood and walked out to the kitchen, where the others were finishing breakfast. The three stopped talking and looked up at him expectantly.

"It's over," he confirmed, "They just hit the wall and are sleeping like babies."

"How long will they sleep?" asked Tetsuya, leaning against Ichigo and accepting a mouthful of his lover's breakfast.

"Yeah," Ichigo chuckled, "They were at it a lot longer than we were, so what? They gonna sleep for a week?"

"I don't think so," Kisuke laughed, "A day or two probably."

He nodded in Jun's direction.

"You'll probably want to go and check them out to make sure everything needing healing gets it, and that they're comfortable."

Ichigo and Tetsuya watched as Jun left the room, then the shinigami substitute met the shopkeeper's eyes knowingly.

"You watched them that whole time, didn't you?" he asked.

"Naw," Kisuke drawled, yawning and starting to make a cup of tea, "I slept a little."

"Byakuya's still gonna kill you for peeping!"

"Hey! It was in the name of science...improving relations between male lovers, you know..."

"Bullshit," Ichigo said, shaking his head, "You were peeping. I know you watched us."

"Hey, I _told _you I needed to do that for safety purposes. And see? You came through just fine. No one died and the room didn't explode, ne?"

"I was surprised there's anything left of Renji's room," Ichigo mused, nipping at Tetsuya's lips, then sliding a hand down to rub his belly, "And I was meaning to ask, how come we didn't have neighbors banging on the walls with all of the noise they were making?"

"Oh, special shielding. They didn't hear or even sense a thing," Kisuke explained.

"It is unfortunate _we _were not spared," Tetsuya said sleepily, "I thought they would be quieter as shinigamis..."

"But yeah, Renji was practically shattering the windows. Course, you could hardly blame him with what Byakuya was doing to him."

"Kisuke, please!" Tetsuya said, wincing, "Don't talk about them that way. It is disrespectful."

"Byakuya wasn't exactly holding back either," Ichigo chuckled, earning a reproving glare from his pretty mate.

"Stop it!" Tetsuya snapped, his reiatsu flickering in the centers of his sapphire eyes, "I won't have you two talking that way about my cousin!"

"Whoa, sorry," Ichigo laughed, nuzzling his piqued lover's flushed cheek, "I didn't mean to offend you. But you said, yourself, they were pretty loud."

"Hmmm," Tetsuya huffed, still frowning, "Well, enough about that."

"Right," Kisuke agreed, "Anyway, getting back to business, you two should stay with them here and get them started bonding. It will probably be good to have you with them the first time or two to make them feel more comfortable with it."

"Pardon me," said Jun's voice from the kitchen doorway, "But Kisuke, I thought that I should tell you, the conception was successful."

"That's great," Kisuke said, nodding approvingly, "And the boys are...?"

"In perfect condition. They came through just fine."

"That's good news," Ichigo said, smiling, "Tetsuya's gonna be an uncle!"

"W-well, actually, it will be another cousin," the blue-eyed noble corrected him, "Although Byakuya and I _are_ more like brothers than cousins."

"Byakuya woke while I was confirming the pregnancy," Jun said, his face reflecting concern.

"What?" Kisuke mused, "No way..."

"He was very weak, but...he seemed...overwhelmed when I told him."

"He was probably too out of it to really understand what was happening," Kisuke suggested.

"No...he was lucid," Jun said softly, " And Kisuke, before he fell asleep again, he asked for Tetsuya to return him to Kuchiki Manor."

"What? Now?" Ichigo queried, "I thought they had to stay here for the first bonding."

"That was the plan," Kisuke said, shaking his head, "But I guess that we can take Renji over to the manor when he wakes up, so they can bond."

"I wonder why he asked for this," Tetsuya said, worry rising in his eyes, "He seemed to be all right with doing this..."

"Yeah," Kisuke agreed, "But right before they passed out, he looked pretty unnerved by something Renji said. I wasn't listening in, so I don't know what went on. But it may have to do with him suddenly wanting to split."

"Or maybe," Tetsuya concluded, "this simply wore on his spirits, and he wanted to be home, for his comfort."

"Whatever," Kisuke yawned, "Go ahead and take him home, then. Jun and I will watch over Renji and bring him over later."

Ichigo and Tetsuya left the table and headed down to Renji's bedroom, where they collected Byakuya's deeply sleeping form and carried him out to where Arashi waited to carry them back to Kuchiki Manor.

"What do you think Renji said that upset him?" Ichigo wondered aloud.

Tetsuya held Byakuya against him and nudged the stallion into motion.

"I am not sure," he said, resting his face against his sleeping cousin's, "But I think this was more difficult for Byakuya than we all realized. I do hope he'll be all right."

But he continued to steal worried glances at Byakuya as they made their way home, then he settled at his cousin's bedside and steadfastly refused to leave him.


	15. A Bit of Instability

**Chapter 15: A Bit of Instability**

Renji felt himself slowly coming awake and was stricken almost immediately with a host of aches and pains all over, a hard pounding in his head and warring feelings of desperately needing to empty his stomach and desperately wanting to fill it at the same time. He'd had hangovers before, but it felt like the worst hangover in existence. And worse than the physical sensations were the stunning emotions he encountered when he woke up alone in his bed.

"Ugh!" he groaned, curling into a miserable ball for a moment, "What th'fucking hell?"

He startled as the bedroom door opened, and just the click and the sound of Kisuke saying something to him made him groan and shudder.

"Take it easy, Renji," Urahara said, sitting down at his side and beginning to infuse his body with healing reiatsu, "You just did the equivalent of running several marathons and chasing it with a few roller derbies. Just give Jun and me a little cooperation, here, and we'll have you up and at'em again in no time."

Renji blinked in surprise as he realized that, at some point while Kisuke was talking to him, Jun had quietly joined the two and was also infusing Renji's body with calming reiatsu.

"Hey, uh, guys?" he queried worriedly, "Where's Captain? Is he okay? Shouldn't he still be here? Did something happen?"

Kisuke exchanged glances with Jun and withdrew his hands.

"Ah, I think you'll be okay with just Jun helping you. I'm kinda beat, so I'm gonna leave you two to it and go get some rest."

Renji watched, frowning, as he left, then sought Jun's calm, quiet eyes questioningly.

"Jun, Byakuya's okay, isn't he? Nothing bad happened because of...?"

"Byakuya was not harmed physically," Jun assured him, "But he did wake unexpectedly and was having trouble resting properly. He asked to be returned to Kuchiki Manor so that he might rest in more familiar surroundings, and be cared for by his own personal attendant. Tetsuya and Ichigo went with him. I assure you, Renji, Byakuya is fine. You both came through the lover's frenzy just fine."

"Heh," Renji chuckled, a bit of his sense of humor returning as he calmed, "_My room_, on the other hand, didn't fare so well. Remind me to kick the crap outta Kisuke when I feel like I can move without throwing up again."

Jun smiled in amusement, continuing the flow of soothing reiatsu.

"I will do that," he answered, shaking his head.

Renji closed his eyes again for a moment, but quickly reopened them a moment later and sought Jun's again.

"Hey, uh, so how long will it be before we know if I'm, uh...if we...?"

Jun met his eyes again and watched Renji's face carefully as he answered.

"The mating was successful, Renji. You are with child."

"Oh..." the redhead said, freezing for a moment and looking down at his trim belly, "Just like that, huh? Wow...that's uh...it's weird. I don't feel any different, except for feeling like I'm starving _and_ about to throw up at the same time."

"That is a reaction to the stresses placed upon your body during the frenzy," Jun informed him, "You won't feel too much physical effect at first and your bonding with Lord Byakuya should provide comfort from the effects later on. We will begin the bonding as soon as you feel recovered enough to move to Kuchiki Manor. Lord Byakuya says that a room has been prepared for you and you are free to join him there whenever you are ready."

Renji's eyes took on a lonely look for a moment, but he forced the inner ache away and tried to smile.

"I don't know," he mused, "I know he's just trying to make it easier for us to bond, but...I don't know if I want to stay at Kuchiki Manor."

"It would make the bonding easier," Jun explained, "You are going to need frequent infusions of the father's reiatsu to keep your systems stabilized. Living at the manor will keep you close to Lord Byakuya so that there is no delay when you need bonding. But your apartment isn't too far from the manor. I don't suppose it would be detrimental for you to remain here. But I will insist on a healer being assigned to stay with you."

"Will you stay?"

Jun tilted his head slightly and smiled at him.

"Me?" he asked, looking surprised.

"Yeah," Renji answered, letting out a sigh, "You're easy to get along with. You don't pry and you're not pushy. Besides, aren't you going to be helping us adjust to being parents, but not living together?"

"I will be helping you manage your relationship, yes," Jun agreed.

"Huh," Renji mused, looking at the empty space where Byakuya had been sleeping next to him and sighing, "What relationship? It looks like he couldn't wait to get outta here. I think he didn't expect things to be like they were. And maybe I made a big mistake by telling him that I loved him and asking him to let me take him."

"Ah..." Jun said, keeping his expression calm and continuing the gentle flow of warm reiatsu, "Those things do suggest something deeper than a joining to repopulate your clan."

"Yeah," Renji answered, blushing, "I know that. It's just that...I felt something between us, you know? I've always thought that Captain was beautiful and I've always admired him, but I never even knew what beautiful was until this. I guess I did fall in love with him. But it looks like he didn't have a reaction like that. Seems like he couldn't get out of here fast enough."

Jun's hand found his and the healer nodded sympathetically.

"You must have felt like it was abandonment," he acknowledged, "But it would be hasty to jump to conclusions, Lord Renji."

Renji blinked in surprise at the formal use of his name.

"Sorry, just haven't gotten used to that."

"I understand. And you should understand that, just as you were surprised at the intensity of the emotions surrounding your coupling, Lord Byakuya likely encountered emotions that he wasn't expecting."

"Right," Renji sighed, the sadness returning to his eyes, "I mean, it's not like he promised me anything, but what the hell? I thought we were in this together. He was right with me all through, but before I was even conscious again, he was out of here and back at his manor, being fussed over and forgetting all about me."

He realized how the words must sound and tried to think of something to say to mitigate them. But for some reason, feelings of anger were boiling up inside and preventing him from thinking clearly.

_But, why am I so angry at him? The guy helped me out. He kept me from having to get fucked by that creepy Shihoin freak. I got to spend how long making love to that beautiful guy and we're having kids together. Why am I so pissed at him for leaving? He didn't promise he'd stay. He didn't promise anything but that he would get me pregnant. Why do I want to yell at him and hit something?_

"Lord Renji, are you all right?"

He realized suddenly that indignant tears had leaked onto his face and that his big hands were clenched. A tightness seemed to clutch at his midsection and he felt an intense, growing restlessness that grew quickly and began to overwhelm him. His reiatsu flared painfully and he came to his feet, further startling the healer.

"Lord Renji?"

"I'll be back," he said shortly, flash stepping out of the room and leaving Jun staring after him.

"Lord Renji!"

The healer shook his head and rose quickly.

"Oh, this isn't good. This isn't good at all..." he mused, moving to follow the redhead.

XXXXXXXXXX

Byakuya woke to find his room quiet and dark, and Tetsuya curled up and sleeping in the attendant's recess. He sensed that Torio was nearby, but that he, too, was sleeping. He sat up slowly, feeling the residual aches and pains of his lovemaking with Renji. But far worse than the physical discomfort was the return of the deeper ache of intense loneliness he had felt in the wake of Hisana's death.

_Renji is alive and well, but he is not with me. He never was with me. He only weakened for a moment and let that declaration of love slip. He is probably regretting doing so now. I did not handle that well at all._

_But, what was I to say?_

_He couldn't really be in love with me. It was just that he was in the thrall of the lover's frenzy and he momentarily lost control of his words. It happens easily enough. And if I had remained there and let him take me, if I had acted on those rash words and feelings, then it would have been even more painful later when he came to his senses. No, this was the only thing I could do._

_But this horrible ache inside..._

He slipped out of bed, careful not to wake Tetsuya or Torio, and crept out into the gardens, looking up at the moon as he walked across the damp grass, his eyes looking up and seeking the moon where it peeked out from behind the clouds. It lit his path as he made his way across the grounds and out the back gate, onto the forest trail. He followed it to his favorite sakura tree and sat down beneath it, trying to lose himself in the gurgle and splashing of the creek and waterfall near him. He tried to lose himself in the bright moonlight, but couldn't enjoy it properly as the discomfort in his heart increased.

_What is wrong with me?_

He breathed in the scent of the flowers around him, but caught his breath softly as he remembered Renji's warm, masculine scent and felt himself harden instantly in response.

_It must be a lingering effect of the frenzy. Perhaps it takes time to completely wear off._

He wanted to believe that, but as he continued to sit and tried to avoid thinking about it, he was only able to think about it more. His mind defied him brazenly, bringing back memory after memory and leaving his heart pounding and his body longing painfully for Renji's.

_I didn't know it would be this bad. I thought that when the frenzy ended, I would be 'normal' again. It seems that was shortsighted. I don't feel normal at all. I ache for him. I don't just want to make love to him, I want to feel his arms around me. I want to feel his kisses on my mouth. I want to hear him, without the effect of the frenzy, tell me that he loves me..._

But he knew exactly, the chances of that happening.

"Captain?"

Byakuya froze at the sound of Renji's voice.

He sounded out of breath and his reiatsu flickered furiously around him. There was anger in hurt in his voice...profound even in that one utterance. Byakuya rose and turned to face him.

"Renji? Why are you here? Is it time for the bonding?" he asked calmly.

"Time for the bonding?" Renji repeated, sounding even more angry, "I don't know about that. I just know that when I crashed, we were lying next to each other and you didn't seem to want to go anywhere. Then, I woke up and it seems like I had everything wrong, because you couldn't get out of there fast enough. Tell me, Captain, was it really so bad? Were you embarrassed to be with me? Did you wake up and just couldn't stand to be there with me anymore?"

"No, of course not," the noble said, wondering at the other man's fury, "I enjoyed being with you, Renji. But our agreement was to join like that only for the making of the..."

"I know that!" Renji snapped, "But, you know, I let down my guard with you. I told you I love you, and this was your answer? You took off like a bat out of hell?"

Byakuya gave him a dumbfounded look.

"I...didn't mean for you to take my leaving that way, Renji. It was just that..."

"Oh, business was concluded and you wanted to be back in your perfect mansion, surrounded by your servants. And you wanted to forget all about what we were starting to feel."

"I do not think you understand my motivation at all," Byakuya began, but he quickly found himself cut off again, before he could finish.

"Oh, I understand just fine. I said I love you and you don't feel that way. So instead of just being straight with me and telling me that you don't return the feeling, you bolted, ne? Isn't that how it was?"

"Renji, no. That's not it at all."

"Then, what is it?" the redhead demanded.

"When this began, you said that you only wanted me to help you father your children. I agreed to do that and I carried through on it."

"But I told you that I love you!" Renji objected, "Doesn't that mean anything?"

"It was an emotional outburst that emerged during a time when we were not ourselves. That isn't love, Renji! That was the frenzy. We were told that it would be that way. We were out of our heads and you lost control of your words. It was just..."

Byakuya's body went taut as Renji took hold of him suddenly and plunged hungrily into his mouth, forcing his hot tongue between the noble's surprised lips and savaging them with a seething, heart-melting kiss that weakened his knees instantly and left him utterly breathless. He clung to the redhead as Renji brought them both to the ground, continuing to attack his mouth hungrily and reaching down to open his yukata.

"There's no frenzy now," Renji said between scathing kisses, "It's just you and me, in our right minds and all alone here."

Byakuya's widened eyes stared up into Renji's and he struggled to make sense of what was happening. He reeled as Renji's hands slipped beneath his clothes and caressed his blushing nipples, then slid down over his belly and sought his nether region. His mind went suddenly blank and he tore away from the redhead as Renji's finger touched his entrance. He came to his knees, holding his yukata closed and staring in silence at the other man.

A look of intense pain flashed across Renji's features, then darkened into righteous anger.

"So, that's it, is it?" he said, his voice growing eerily calm, "It's okay as long as you're in control, as long as you are in control and I am the one made vulnerable."

"Renji, that is not..."

"Bullshit!" the redhead hissed, his eyes tearing, "You reacted to me just now, like there was something there! You can't deny that. I felt it all over...in my body and in yours. You were with me until the shoe was on the other foot and you were the one about to be taken. Then, suddenly it wasn't okay anymore."

"I was taken by surprise," Byakuya managed softly, "I wasn't prepared for this. Renji, all you asked me to do was..."

"To help me make babies," Renji snapped, "I know. I just...I thought that when we were together, it felt like it meant more than that. I guess I was wrong."

"N-no..."

"Look, just forget it," Renji said, deflating, "I won't bother you about it anymore. We'll just do the bonding and I'll have the kids they want, then I'll be out of your hair."

"Abarai...!"

"And I don't need to stay here. I can just...come over when I need the bonding. And I promise I won't touch you again. I'm sorry, Captain Kuchiki, I didn't mean to overstep proper boundaries with you."

He started to flash step away, then encountered a strange feeling like all of the energy being suddenly sucked out of his body. A sound of surprise escaped him as he collapsed haphazardly onto the ground at Byakuya's feet.

"Shit..." he mused, losing consciousness.

"Renji!" Byakuya exclaimed, dropping to his knees next to the redhead, "Renji, are you all right?"

"H-he'll be okay," panted Jun, bursting into the clearing and sliding to a stop beside the fallen captain, "S-sorry, I tried to keep up, b-but he was quite agitated. He just overstressed his body. H-he just needs his first bonding, then to sleep for a time. I promise you...h-he'll be fine."

Byakuya gazed down at the redhead as Jun leaned over him and infused him with healing reiatsu.

"Where should we take him?" Jun asked, "For the bonding?"

Byakuya paused for a moment, then his lips tightened.

"Take him to my bedroom."


	16. Pathway of the Heart

**Chapter 16: The Pathway of the Heart**

**(Thanks so much to Bijective and Invertible (Yeah, they are a little off kilter, but that just gives them a chance for a sweet connection in this chapter. Wait until you see what Ol' Bya's got up his sleeve!), Winterheart2000 (Aww, sure, here's more!), Renji-Bya-Lover (Your hopes are not in vain. I think you will enjoy this!), Rhea (Ouch, sappy? Okay, maybe sort of. But I think you will enjoy this...attempt to open communication lines.), Scarlotte O'Hara (The fun thing about Bya is that he doesn't think like other people, so what he does is always surprising and sometimes amusing!), Purple Light Snow (Some things will clear up sooner and some later, but that's the way love grows.), Nyma (Byakuya has something special planned to 'educate' his silly love.), Nazrita (Sometimes actions speak louder than words, and Renji's not hearing his words, so it seems Bya will have to find another way to speak to Renji!), Ookami no Kurayami (I think all they need is a little one on one time...), Sscullys (The misunderstandings are far from over, but one thing is sure, Bya has plans for Renji!), Kyuumihaira (What'll you do when you read this one? lol), Bre42 (I'm glad to pique your interest!), Cody Zik (Yes, this is Renji in unfamiliar territory, raised a mutt, but expected to adjust to the life of a noble and pressured with becoming a parent and confronting his growing feelings for Bya, all at once. Poor guy!), Shenigmatic (Oh, you will not be disappointed!), Princess Moon Shadow (Thanks!), Snowflowersister of Toshiro241 (Okay, here's more for you!), and phAnt0mgh0st7018 (Oh, Bya's about to give Renji the full rundown on what he's thinking...but how will he do that?) Enjoy the chapter! Love, Spunky)**

**XXXXXXXXXX**

"Are you sure this is what you want?" Jun asked, glancing at Renji, where he rested with his back against Byakuya's chest, "You know that Lord Renji is an impetuous man. What if he misunderstands what you are doing? You could be hurt, Lord Byakuya. I am supposed to make sure that your relationship progresses as smoothly as possible. I don't want to do something that will cause a misunderstanding."

"I am not afraid of what will happen if he misunderstands," Byakuya assured the healer, "I am prepared to take the consequences of my actions. Renji mistook my actions before as a rejection. I think that a person who works so much through his emotions and emotional senses needs something like this to open his eyes."

"I hope you are right," said the healer, "But to me, this seems more than a little reckless. Then again, that there is someone who brings out that recklessness in you is a sign of one who connects strongly with your passions. I just hope that you do not regret this."

"If I do end up regretting it, I have you to counsel me," Byakuya reminded him.

"Not that you are very good at heeding my advice," Jun mused softly, "But that is in your nature."

"Yes, well, you said that Renji needs bonding. I think I should see to that now."

"Of course," the healer said, giving the two one more worried glance as he left the room.

Byakuya curled his head around Renji's shoulder, burrowing his face into the thick swirls of red hair and breathing in his strong, masculine scent as he pressed his cheek against the redhead's. He wrapped his arms around Renji's torso from behind and rested his hands on the redhead's exposed abdomen, careful to make sure that the blankets covered his genitalia. He started the infusion gently, gradually letting the power around his hands grow until his hands and Renji's slender belly began to glow with blue light. At first, the redhead remained unconscious, simply collapsed against his former captain. But as more and more of Byakuya's reiatsu flowed into him and curved around the spirit chamber inside him, he groaned softly and shifted under Byakuya's hands. Byakuya breathed a soft admonition into his ear and Renji stiffened for a moment under his hands. Then, he seemed to realize what was happening and fell still and quiet.

It was the quietest that things had ever been between the two. Normally, either Byakuya's stubbornness or Renji's lively emotions made things reactive. But all that moved between them now was that flow of reiatsu. And all they could feel was how, even though they had only meant to join for the sake of reviving Renji's noble clan, something had grown that was much deeper. But neither could say the words. So the two gave in solemnly to the need for bonding and simply accepted it for what it was.

Until the first swells of arousal rose up between them.

Renji flinched and shifted as he felt the warm brush of Byakuya's rising erection touching his back. And despite the blankets that Byakuya had placed to respectfully cover him, the evidence of Renji's responding body was all too clear.

"Damn," Renji said, sweat breaking out on his forehead.

"Don't get riled," Byakuya said calmly, "It is just a reaction to the bonding. If it is uncomfortable for you, then I can relieve you of the burden when the bonding is finished."

Renji scowled.

"No thanks," he said in a wounded voice, "I'll take care of myself."

He flushed brightly at the connotations of the words.

"I will be fine," he corrected himself.

"As you wish," Byakuya said, betraying no emotion at the redhead's outburst.

The two went quiet again, reeling silently as the forces between them began to stabilize and some small amount of relief showed on Renji's tormented face.

"Is that better?" Byakuya asked softly, again warming his ear with his breath and sending a shiver of desire down his spine.

"Y-yeah," Renji said, shifting uncomfortably, "I should go now. I have things to do."

"What do you have to do?" Byakuya asked, "You are on leave, so you do not have those duties to see to. And, as far as I know, it has been recommended that you rest for a time after we bond."

"Yeah, well I can rest at my apartment," Renji said, starting to pull away, then staring in surprise as he noticed the kido shield that had risen around the bed.

He looked back at the noble, who knelt with his head bowed and his yukata opened.

"What is this? What the hell are you doing?" Renji demanded, "Let me out of here! I'm going back to my apartment. I said I would rest. I don't feel like staying here with someone who is just in this to make babies okay? It's gotten a little bit painful, you know?"

"I understand," the Kuchiki heir said quietly, "And I am sorry that I've made you angry."

"Huh, but you don't get it," Renji objected, "You're still wanting to be in control. That's why you bolted when I touched you. You were right. It was just the frenzy that made me lose my mind and say I loved you. I give. You win. Now, let me out of here, okay?"

"I will remove the barrier in a moment and you will be able to stay or go. I am hoping that, given what you are about to learn, you will understand me a little more, as I am trying to understand you."

Renji wanted to object, but found himself suddenly curious.

"What do you mean? What are you going to do?" he asked warily.

"You said that I wasn't interested in you, and that I only showed what interest I did while I was in control. That statement is completely false. And I only wish to make you aware of the truth of things."

Renji's eyes narrowed suspiciously and his frown deepened.

"Okay," he said unhappily, "How?"

He watched, his eyes widening as Byakuya laid down on his back and closed his eyes for a moment, focusing.

"What the...?" Renji whispered, watching as bonds formed on the Kuchiki heir's body, holding him down on the bed with his body completely exposed to the other man.

Renji went breathless and his heart started to pound as the barrier around the bed dropped.

"Hey, look, Byakuya..." he began, nearly stumbling over his words as it struck him how intensely arousing it was to see his former captain that way.

"As you can see, I am not in control at all," Byakuya said, cutting him off, "I am completely helpless."

"Yeah, right," Renji chuckled, his humor beginning to return, "You could break those things any time you want..."

He froze, noticing for the first time, the reiatsu repressing ring that had appeared on one slender wrist.

"Uh, hey, you know, you really don't have to..."

"I tried to tell you in words, Renji, but you didn't understand. So, perhaps if I show you instead, you will lose some of your anger towards me."

"What do you want me to do?" Renji asked, some skepticism still in his voice.

Byakuya met his eyes squarely.

"Whatever you choose," he said simply, "If you want to, you can remain angry with me and humiliate me. You can walk out and leave me here this way, and my attendant will be by at some point and will release me. You can take whatever revenge on me you want. I am not able to resist, and I won't even try."

"I don't want to take revenge on you," Renji said, looking away for a moment, "I was just upset, okay? I shouldn't have gotten so pissed. You're doing something really big for me. I shouldn't be angry at you for helping me just like you said you would."

"But you said that you sensed something else had grown between us. What I was trying to tell you is that I agree that is true. But you didn't hear my words, so learn what you need to know in your own more tactile way, Renji. If you need to make love to me to know what exactly is there and what is not, then make love to me. Or just put your hands on me. Or walk away. As I said, I have completely relinquished control. Do as you will. I trust you."

It was the last three words that caught in Renji's shocked mind and kept him from walking out, just to prove a point. Instead, he moved closer, looking down at Byakuya's lovely, naked body and breathing in that gentle sakura scent. Byakuya's eyes met his with only sincere curiosity as he watched to see which way the redhead would decide.

For a long time, Renji did nothing but look. Both men remained silent as the redhead gazed down at the bound noble and tried to reason out what his former captain was trying to tell him. Then, he moved to Byakuya's side, looked at him for several moments, as though trying to decide what to do, before stretching out alongside him and resting his boy partially on top of the Kuchiki heir's.

"You know," Renji sighed, his eyes meeting Byakuya's uncertainly, "I don't really know what I want to do. Maybe we could just lie here for a while and think about it. Maybe you're right. Maybe the frenzy is affecting my thinking."

He nuzzled into Byakuya's shoulder, rubbing his face against the silken black hair and sighing again.

"I kinda wish that you weren't quite so tied up, so that you could put your arms around me."

He caught his breath in surprise as the bonds on Byakuya's arms loosened, allowing the other man to embrace him.

"Hey, I thought you said that..."

"I did not affect the bindings," Byakuya explained, "You did."

"What?" Renji mused, blinking.

"These bonds were created by Kisuke Urahara. They are meant to be used for lovemaking, but can be programmed to respond to the wishes of one or both lovers."

"What?" Renji said, not quite able to hold back an amused smile, "Fuck, that guy is really twisted!"

"Perhaps."

"He used these things on you?" the redhead said, his reiatsu flaring at the thought, "But I thought you said that..."

"That was the truth. However, Urahara gave them to Yoruichi, who used them to tease me when she would come to train with me."

"Damn, no wonder you can't stand those two," Renji said, shaking his head and nuzzling closer to Byakuya.

He considered what to do, then frowned and went limp on the Kuchiki heir's chest.

"Byakuya, will you just tell me, are you interested in me or not?" he asked in a frustrated tone.

"Would I be lying naked and helpless in your arms now, if I was not attracted to you?" Byakuya asked pointedly.

"Right," Renji said in a troubled tone, "But then, what happened before? You tore away from me like..."

"Like someone who had never been made love to by another man," Byakuya finished.

Renji was taken aback for a moment.

"What, you were...afraid?"

"I was taken by surprise," Byakuya corrected him, bristling at the suggestion of cowardice.

"Oh..." the redhead said, more thoughtfully, "That was a pretty strong reaction."

"I had been advised that homosexual intercourse was painful if not done correctly. And we haven't the frenzy now to dull our senses," Byakuya explained, "We are both inexperienced this way."

"Except for what we did to make the babies," Renji agreed.

"Yes," said the Kuchiki heir, so before I feel comfortable with you entering me, I need to be reassured that you will not be hasty, nor impatient, both of which could have painful results."

Renji bit his lip gently.

"And there's something else," he added solemnly, "Losing your virginity should be something that happens in a meaningful way. I lost my virginity to you, and I didn't mind doing so, because it seemed like it was the right thing, and I felt like, even though it was duty and not love, I was with the right person."

Byakuya's sudden near-smile startled the redhead into silence.

"That is very perceptive," he commented, "Do you see now what happens when you slow down and think things through?"

"Heh," Renji chuckled, stealing a kiss, "You're always telling me that."

"And I only have to let myself be tied up and molested by you to get you to listen," the Kuchiki heir said dryly.

"Hey!" Renji objected, "No one's molested anyone yet."

"No," Byakuya agreed, "But neither have you released my bonds."

"Right," the redhead said, studying them for a moment, "Well, as hot as you look, all tied up, I think I like it better when we touch each other because both of us want to."

Byakuya's sigh of relief took him by surprise as he watched the bonds fade.

"What's that all about?" he asked, "Did you really think I was going to have sex with you like that? Even after you told me you were nervous about it? Really?"

"Well, you can be quite brash and temperamental at times," Byakuya observed.

"Yeah, well, I can also choose to do what's best for my lover, so that we're both okay with what happens."

"You learn quickly, Abarai," Byakuya said, almost smiling again.

"Yeah? I have a really good mentor," Renji said, descending on Byakuya's mouth and invading with a probing tongue.

He shifted, taking up a position on top of the Kuchiki heir's bare body. He chuckled at the way his former captain shivered as their still-erect members came suddenly into contact.

"Don't worry," he breathed in Byakuya's ear, causing another strong reaction in the Kuchiki heir's body, "I'm not gonna do anything but give us a little relief. I don't know about you, but I'm really hurting to be touched."

"Are you?" Byakuya queried, moving his hips and making Renji groan at the delicious friction caused between their touching arousals.

"Mmmmhmmm," Renji sighed, sinking deeply into his mouth again and thrusting more heatedly against Byakuya's body.

He groaned contentedly as Byakuya returned his kisses with growing fervor, and his hips moved with Renji's, increasing the friction between them until the intensity nearly left them breathless. The Kuchiki heirs fingers sank into the lengths of Renji's unbound hair, and the redhead felt Byakuya's body give a warning shudder. He lifted himself slightly, and slid a hand down between their undulating bodies, capturing their riled lengths and bringing them to a mutual climax. Renji couldn't hold back a contented groan, feeling the pleasure rocket through his body and watching their mingled essences spill out onto Byakuya slender, white belly.

Still panting heatedly, and looking into Byakuya's lust-hazed eyes, Renji captured some of their release on his fingertips and slid a hand down between the Kuchiki heir's parted thighs, seeking his entrance. Byakuya froze at the first touch on his nether region, his heart still pounding from orgasm and his eyes riled. He stiffened for a moment, but held perfectly still as Renji moved his finger gently, just teasing the area and waiting as the Kuchiki heir adjusted to the sensation.

Renji's head dipped and he caught some of the fluid on his tongue, then sought the place that his fingers had been touching. Byakuya gave a startled gasp at just how good it felt as the redhead's tongue touched and lightly probed that same sensitive area. He gave a little sigh and opened his legs wider. leaving it up to Renji to decide how to proceed.

Renji gave him a grateful smile and closed the other man's parted thighs, then laid down on top of him again, seeking his lips and sharing the flavors of his explorations. He brought his lips to Byakuya's ear and whispered a soft reassurance.

"We'll just save that for later. When I take you, I want it to be special."

"I see," Byakuya whispered back, "But...that being said, are there also rules about when I might take you?"

Renji felt a blush roar across his face.

"I've already been taken more than a few times," he chuckled, "not that I remember so well. So, I guess, 'as soon as you decide you want to' works for me."

"Does it?" Byakuya queried, yielding an actual smile and bringing the redhead down onto his back.

He was taken aback with how extremely beautiful and exotic Renji looked, naked and spread out on his bed like that.

"Then, you won't mind if I make love to you right now?"

"That's a pretty quick recovery," Renji mused, moaning delightedly as Byakuya began a slow, intense exploration of every inch of his tattoos.

"Anything is possible, given proper motivation," Byakuya commented, following a long, jagged, black line with a lusty pink tongue.

"I motivate you?"

"Yes."

Renji would have said something more, but found himself already reeling with renewed pleasure. He closed his eyes and sank into the sensation, letting go of everything else and just feeling the warm connection of their bound souls.


	17. Touch

**Chapter 17: Touch**

**(Had to get up a couple of hours early to get this done and edited before having to fly off. Thanks a million to Yaoilifesnecessity (glad you like it!), Ironrose2018 (Aww, thanks!), Purple Light Snow (Here you go!), Nyma (And he will go further now!), NamineLily (Aww, you're so sweet! And Tetsuya and Ichigo will be back in a bit!), Scarlotte O'Hara (Oh yes, actions speak louder than words!), Renji-Bya-Lover (Ah yes, those misunderstandings make good fluff! And that mansion? Oh, you will love it! I think Renji will be instantly impressed.), phAnt0mgh0st7018 (Yes, he does know how to get Renji's attention! And now, the promised fun!), MissLilly2012 (So sorry to hear you were sick! :( Take care of yourself! Or better yet, hope a loved one is being sweet and taking care of you!), Karenaangel1986 (Aww, that's so sweet! Thanks so much!), Kyuumihaira (lol, sometimes I melt myself!), Cody Zik (Yes, Urahara and perversion go hand in hand! And the Bya/Ren sweetness is about to get hotter!), Snowflowersister of Toshiro241 (That's what I live for!), Princess Moon Shadow (Thanks so very much!), Shenigmatic (Aww, thanks! And here's a little something sweet to start the day! I don't think Renji will have problems getting up anymore!), and Sscullys (Wait until you see Bya's next move!) Whew! Hope I didn't miss anyone! I was rushing because it's time to get ready for work and barely had time to finish!)**

Renji Abarai was the farthest thing from noble. Born in the low Rukongai, he was rough skinned, rough mannered, and in all too many ways down to earth. He had grown up without rules, without food or proper clothing, no formal education and usually not even a roof over his head. He had set his own rules, built his own inner code of honor and set his heart on getting out of that place, despite knowing the exact chances that he ever would.

He had to wonder, as he woke for the first time, naked and curled up in the bed of the most beautiful and well bred shinigami in Soul Society, how such a thing could have happened to a mongrel like him.

_I don't ever wake up before dawn, but I would do that every day for the rest of my life to see this...Byakuya Kuchiki, naked in so many different ways...without a stitch of clothing, no decorations, no marks of rank or status. Just flesh and blood and bone, like me. Like me, but so damned beautiful, all curled up on my chest like that...his skin so soft I have to touch it, hair so soft that I want to bury my face in it. And he smells so good...like flowers and earth. I could be convinced that he wasn't a shinigami at all, but came straight out of that garden out there._

_How did this happen to me?_

_And when did I start wanting this so badly?_

_When that hell butterfly showed up, saying all of a sudden, that I was a noble, and leader of a clan, I was scared to death. I wasn't raised around people with good manners, or surrounded by wealth and expectation. Well, the only expectation in Inuzuri was that I would grow up miserable and lost and that I would die in those streets without anything to call my own. I wonder now why I survived. Why did I always know that wasn't what was going to happen to me? Was I just being stubborn or did something inside me dream of something like this? Was it the noble blood in me that made me fight harder, or was that just my nature?_

_I wonder about Byakuya too. He's everything a noble lord should be...strong, disciplined, cultured, calm and wise. He looks like he belongs here, surrounded by beautiful things and served by other people. But it's strange. I think that even without having been raised in a noble family, there are some things about him that would have been that way anyway. He's smart and determined. If he had been born in Inuzuri, he would have been a survivor, and he would have helped other kids survive too. It's in his nature to survive, to protect and to lead._

_I wonder if that's true of me too._

_Maybe it wasn't just that I was a daydreamer, that I had more pride than I should for being a mongrel from the lower Rukon. Maybe that came from someplace deeper inside my soul, and is connected to that prince and the Tiger spirit he loved. Am I a royal son and regal animal both? And what's going to happen now? What is in that place, that estate that belongs to me now? Yeah, what will that be like? I wonder if it's going to be like other noble houses, or if it might just have its own character. I guess we'll see._

A gentle shift in the reiatsu around him brought him back out of his thoughts and he realized suddenly that what had caused it was that Byakuya was waking. And as beautiful as it had been, waking first and seeing him naked, tumbled hair and sprawled in a very un-Byakuya-like manner across his body, Renji couldn't tear his eyes away as his former captain's eyes opened and he encountered a long moment where Byakuya didn't look at all like a noble lord. He looked much younger, sleepy-eyed and completely vulnerable. This in a man who, for Renji, had always been anything but vulnerable. Byakuya had, from the first day they had met, redefined the idea of what strength and power were to Renji Abarai. He had always wanted to be like that, and had set his heart on surpassing Byakuya at being that way. And again, he had to wonder if it was just that damned stubbornness popping up again, or if it was always meant to be this way.

_But it's so strange how this happened. I asked him to help me, not because of any dream of getting stronger or because I knew he would be right. I was scared out of my mind and he was a shelter. _

_But this...the way he looks now, I can't imagine being anywhere but next to him, with anyone but him, ever. Is that the bonding that we went through while making the babies, or is it that we were always meant to be together? Just a few days ago, I would have thought it was crazy. That I would wake up next to Byakuya Kuchiki every day and hold that kind of perfection in my arms wasn't even a dream of mine. I couldn't have believed in something like that. It's like looking into the sun...blindingly beautiful and way too much to hope for, scary because daring to dream like that invites disaster._

_But this is no dream._

_This is real._

_I am really head over heels for this guy, and he loves me too._

_How the hell did that happen?_

He looked into those tranquil, dark gray eyes and waited for a moment, caught up in the man's beauty and how he was beautiful without anything but what he had been born with. And he was surprised as those contemplative eyes blinked and focused on him, that it seemed like Byakuya was thinking the same thing about him.

He was perfectly correct in that thinking.

Byakuya laid, breathing in the other man's wilder, masculine scent and looking into Renji's more feral, red-brown eyes, treasuring the exotic beauty of the golden-tanned and tattooed marvel that was Renji Abarai, wondering if he would ever see anything more enchanting. He wondered how it could be that 'beautiful' had been so suddenly redefined in his thinking, that it was now connected to this man who had confused and challenged him from that first moment they had laid eyes upon each other.

But that confusion was clearing.

It made sense to him now, why Renji's heart had guided him to fight so hard to survive, to seek a path to the Seireitei and to choose as his guiding light, not the brutally strong Kenpachi Zaraki or any of the others, but the one noble leader among them. Despite not having a noble home or upbringing, Renji had a noble heart and spirit to guide him. And as much as Byakuya had once tried to write him off as a mongrel with too much pride, he now saw Renji in a different light.

But, he noted, blinking slowly, that realization had begun even before the hell butterfly had arrived and changed everything.

"Good morning, Byakuya," Renji said, breaking the silence between them.

Byakuya looked back at him wordlessly, then began a more sensuous morning greeting.

Dark gray eyes first took in the whole of the exotic spectacle that laid on the bed, beneath his body...dark tanned skin, painted with tribal lines, everything about him bold, from his bright red hair to those markings on his skin to the ever-aggressive eyes that looked back at him as though in challenge. Even his scent piqued Byakuya's senses. And faced with Renji's beauty while just waking and not yet fully under his usual controls, Byakuya was inclined, not just to look, but to explore. His fingertips began to follow the path of his eyes, and as he had done before making love to Renji the night before, he slowly explored them all, those soft fingertips delighting the skin and making Renji blush. He could see that the redhead was forcibly holding himself back from saying anything. He seemed afraid to shatter the moment.

Byakuya closed his eyes, breathing the other man's scent in deeply and following his fingers with light brushing kisses, then a hungry tongue that traced the lines slowly, teasing a darker flush onto Renji's skin and awakening the more primal part of him. Out of the corner of one gray eye, he watched Renji's already large member blush and grow even larger. He shivered inside, knowing that Renji wanted to put that huge, very hot and most violent part of himself inside him. His heart quickened at the very thought, and he felt his own ample member harden in reaction. Yes, as much as he quivered inside thinking about it penetrating him, he already wanted it badly. As much as he had enjoyed taming Renji, if only briefly, some part of him wanted the redhead to rise up, like his animal forebear and conquer him. The thought made him dizzy. And he knew it was unseemly for a noble lord to be thinking such primal thoughts. But they were going to be married. And if it was to be an equal partnership, then he had to be ready to receive Renji into his body as well as to possess him.

But he sensed that now wasn't the time Renji would offer him that sweet reciprocation. No, Renji wanted his taking to be meaningful, memorable, profound. And as much as he longed for the redhead to relieve him of the last of his innocence, then and there, he hadn't gotten where he was in life by being impatient. And besides, he sensed he wasn't always going to have the upper hand with the man in his arms. Renji had been challenging from the moment they had met, and he was going to be a challenge, always.

His lips smiled at the thought, as he worked his way down Renji's long, lean torso, licking the stark, black lines and wondering how that flavor had gotten inside him and made him desire it with such passion. And as delectable as the taste of the man, was the sight and sound of him, tensing and beginning to growl softly with arousal, the skin of his soft belly quivering under the Kuchiki heir's feather-soft lips, and deeper moans beginning to escape him as Byakuya honed in on that part of him that most desired completion.

_He might not think it is time to penetrate me in that one way, but I have already tasted him there with my mouth. And having sampled him once like that, my mouth waters and wants more._

He followed the thought with a line of kisses that led him in that direction, then watched as his breath touched the satin skin and made Renji quiver and groan hungrily. He moved even more slowly then, teasing with breath and light touches of his tongue to the redhead's hot flesh, then finally offering Renji the promised pleasure he so wanted. His own member throbbed and leaked wantingly as he gave Renji that pleasure, making him writhe and moan feverishly. The sight nearly overcame him without him being touched, himself, at all. He dropped his hips lower, seeking some kind of friction as he brought the redhead to completion, then fed on his essence, his own longing sighs and moans of desire mixing with Renji's sounds of intense pleasure. And even before the last throbs of orgasm faded, Renji sensed his lover's need and smiled as he flipped easily onto his belly, offering Byakuya a vision that he was completely incapable of resisting...Renji Abarai, man and animal both, stretched out languidly on his hands and knees, the tattoos on his back moving with each breath and as he spread his legs and lifted his also tattooed bottom, offering himself to his lovely and very aroused mate.

Byakuya's defenses crumbled instantly, and he lowered himself along Renji's back, depriving himself just a little longer to complete his thorough exploration of those handsome tattoos, while carefully preparing him for their joining. Searching fingertips, amorous lips and a lusty tongue made Renji sigh and shift beneath him, and by the time he had kissed his way over the last of the redhead's tattoos, Renji was erect again, so that when Byakuya did enter him, he clawed wildly at the bedding, moaning loudly and thrashing beautifully with each heavy, grinding thrust. Byakuya's graceful hands ran down his sweating sides, encouraging the motion as the two moved together, gasping and panting with rising pleasure. And just as Byakuya went still, his eyes closing in surrender and his hot release filling the redhead inside, Renji gave a scream of pleasure that seemed to amplify everything. Before he even felt himself falling, Byakuya collapsed onto the redhead's damp back, groaning wantonly and sinfully satisfied. He buried his face in that lovely red hair and nipped sleepily at a flushed earlobe, remaining stretched out on Renji's back and keeping their bodies joined. He felt the soft rumble of Renji's chuckling beneath him and arched an elegant eyebrow questioningly.

"I think I like your way of saying 'good morning,' Byakuya," he said, grinning into his pillow and feeling sweet shivers along his spine as the sated noble continued to place kisses along the side his neck.

Byakuya's lips quirked and he made a soft sound of amusement.

"Good morning, Renji."

"Mmmmmmmmm..." sighed the redhead, "I might just as well go back to sleep. Nothing that happens today is going to be as good as that was. So, I'll just call it a day and go back to sleep until it's time to wake up tomorrow, okay?"

"That does sound tempting," Byakuya replied, still sounding slightly breathless from their lovemaking, "but I do have to report to work today."

"Right," Renji sighed, remembering that he wouldn't be able to return to his own division until after the babies were born.

_They're too worried that something might happen and then my clan really would be extinct. I guess I understand, but..._

"So, what am I supposed to do all day?" he asked, "I'm going to be bored off my ass in five minutes, not having a report to file or training to do."

"You aren't a prisoner here. If you want to go to your division and oversee the paperwork and office responsibilities, that would be acceptable."

He tried to think of how Lisa would respond to knowing her male captain was having a litter of babies and suddenly didn't feel so eager to abandon Kuchiki Manor.

Byakuya laughed softly in his ear.

"What's wrong? You aren't eager to explain what's going on to her? She seems to have you quite intimidated."

"I'm not intimidated!" Renji snapped, starting to shift as though to pull away from him, but finding himself unable to escape his poised colleague.

"No?"

"I just...don't want to deal with her crap right now. Seriously, why did they think that she would make a good vice captain for me? We irritate the hell out of each other! I'm supposed to depend on her to watch my back? She's more likely to wait until I'm fighting, then kick me in the ass and tell me I'm doing it wrong!"

"Perhaps," Byakuya admitted readily, "but she is a capable and experienced fighter and she has been that way since before you were born, Renji."

"Yeah, yeah, I got the rundown," the redhead groaned, "Can we just talk about something else?"

"Very well," the Kuchiki heir said agreeably, sliding off of the redhead's back and sitting up.

Renji's eyes widened as the door to the bedroom opened suddenly and Torio stepped into the room, carrying a large, food laden tray. The redhead dove beneath the covers, blushing brightly all over, then realizing that the covers weren't quite covering his bare bottom and hastily covering it.

"What the hell?"

He peeked out from under the covers to see Byakuya, nearly uncovered and casually accepting the tray of food from the attendant. He glanced down at the redhead curiously.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, sipping at his tea, "Aren't you hungry after our exertions?"

"Well, yeah, but...I'm not used to people walking into the room when I'm naked, okay?"

"Torio is my attendant," Byakuya explained, "He sees me naked every day when he dresses me."

"When he...?"

"And you will have an attendant here, as well."

Renji bit at his lips and swallowed hard, trying not to blush harder as a slightly younger man entered the room and stood beside Byakuya's attendant.

"This is Akio," the Kuchiki heir informed him, "Torio and Tetsuya's attendant, Koji, are his brothers.

"Good morning, Lord Abarai," Akio greeted him, bowing, "It is a pleasure to meet you, sir."

"R-right, okay, fine. But, ah...I'm not really used to having a bunch of people see me naked. So, can we save the introductions for later?"

"Very well," Byakuya said blithely, "Torio, Akio, you will please prepare the bathing chamber for us. We will meet you there when we have finished our meal."

"What? Wait, _meet them there_?" Renji objected, "As in, they're going to..."

"They are going to bathe us," Byakuya said, taking a bite of his breakfast.

"Eh...maybe I should go to the division and check in," Renji said shaking his head, "I can just take a shower there."

"Nonsense," Byakuya said dismissively, "You will be bathed here, with me, then if you want to walk over to your division, we can walk part of the way together."

"But..."

"Is there something wrong with that?"

"W-well, maybe. Can I just ask you something?"

"Hmmm?"

"Does that kid bathe _all of you_?"

Byakuya frowned.

"Of course. He has been doing so all of my life. He comes from a subfamily who provides the leading family with all of our personal attendants. They are well known for their courtesy, dedication to detail and complete loyalty. They are not just attendants, Renji, they are also protectors. As members of noble families, we are sometimes exposed to danger from those who are our enemies."

"Huh...such as?"

"Well, sometimes there are hostilities between clans. And you are in a particularly precarious position, with your clan being poised on the verge of extinction. There is the very real possibility that others among the clan leaders will see you as a threat."

"What? Really? I mean, I got the feeling I wasn't popular with everyone, but do you really think someone would try to kill me?"

"There have been attempts on my life," Byakuya informed him.

"Shit..."

"Do not worry. That is why you have personal attendants, and also, Akio will shadow you. You won't know he's there unless you require assistance, but he will be there if you are ever in danger."

"Damn," Renji sighed, finally giving in to his hunger and descending on the food, "This is really going to take some getting used to..."

They finished their meal, then donned light yukatas and left the main wing of the manor, crossing the garden to a standalone building that housed the bathing chamber. Renji stopped in the doorway, catching his breath at how the inside of the chamber just seemed like a lovely extension of the gardens outside.

Grass and flowers grew everywhere, encouraged by the huge glass dome roof, and sandstone trails led to different areas of the room. The chamber was dominated by a huge bathing pool with several waterfalls and a scattering of soaking areas. Torio and Akio waited at the pool's edge, dressed only in small wraps at the waist. They removed their noble charge's yukatas, then silently followed them to the waterfalls, where each took his place under the warm, falling water.

Renji tried to stand still, watching Byakuya out of the corner of an eye as Torio began bathing him, then trying not to flinch under the younger Akio's deft hands. Akio acted as though he noticed nothing of Renji's obvious discomfort, only offering him a friendly smile and answering briefly when he was spoken to. The redhead handled everything up to the cleaning of his private areas with some level of grudging acceptance, but as Akio paused and met his eyes for permission, he felt his patience with the situation wearing thin.

"Ah, that's okay. I've got it," he said, flushing, "Erm..."

He caught sight of Torio reaching down respectfully to wash Byakuya's privates and felt the last of his patience vanish.

"Hey, uh...!" he said, breaking away from Akio and wrapping an arm around the surprised noble, "Look, why don't you two just scram, okay? I'll take care of him."

He heard a soft, muted catching of Byakuya's breath, then felt the raven haired man relax under his hands.

"Torio, Akio, you will please excuse us."

"Of course, sirs," the attendants answered, bowing and returning to the edge of the pool.

"Sorry," Renji said, taking the soap and beginning to wash his lover's privates, "But even more than not wanting anyone but you to touch me there, I don't want anyone touching you there. Is that...a problem?"

To his surprise, Byakuya was smiling.

"No," he said, his eyelids fluttering slightly and a blush rising on his face, "I suppose this is acceptable."


End file.
